Discovering Eliza and Ginny
by SmallChatteryOne
Summary: Ginny left the Wizarding World to live as a Muggle. But she also has a daughter, Lily, who attends Hogwarts not knowing of her mother's past and who her father really is. PostDH, AU for the epilogue. H/G. YAY! NEW CHAPTER FINALLY!
1. Prologue

Prologue

The world seemed perfect at that moment. The war had been over for three years. There was stability for the people who had lived in turmoil for so many years. Jokes were even being told again by one George Weasley. But what really made the world perfect to a certain black-haired, green-eyed young man was the red-haired, brown-eyed woman sleeping in his arms. Harry loved her and he know that Ginny loved him back and that was all he needed in the world. Earlier that day, Harry has finally proposed to his true love and they had spent the night celebrating and demonstrating their love to each other in his – no, their – flat. This was not the first time that Harry and Ginny had slept together but something about that night just seemed even better than usual. It was purely magical.

Little did Harry know that while Ginny felt the same way about that night and her love for Harry, there was something else that was bothering her. Something that would change both of their lives forever. She was dreaming – or more accurately, having a nightmare – of a family dinner that occurred just a few days previously. The dinner had started out wonderful, like usual, but someone had brought up the topic of Fred. Recently, he could be discussed admit laughter and fond memories but then George was telling a story about his twin and Angelina Johnson. Turns out they had been seriously dating the year before he died and they would sneak out of the flat in Diagon Alley to spend the night alone in her flat. At this, George started to give Ginny weird looks. She was startled by how harsh he seemed to be and for the rest of the evening she noticed how all of her brothers were glaring at her from time to time, but most of all George.

Ginny woke up suddenly from her sleep breathing hard from her dream. She turned her head and was forced to smile at the sight of her new fiancée sleeping soundly next to her. She gently removed his arms from around her and tip-toed her way into the kitchen to get a glass of water. She knew why her brothers were giving her funny looks. To be honest, she was surprised that it had taken them so long to do it. Maybe they felt as though they had to be nice to her while she still lived at the burrow. But ever since she moved in with Harry, they changed how they acted towards her. She knew she deserved this looks and their attitude, especially from George. Hell, if she could, she would be giving herself glaring looks too. After all, it was her fault that Fred died. She left the Room of Requirement when she wasn't supposed to and Fred had died trying to protect her. If only she had stayed where she was, he would be living with George still and Ron could get whatever job he wanted instead of helping out in the flat. Most of all, she felt guilt for loving Harry and now being engaged to him when Angelina would never get to do that.

As the morning slowly came, Ginny knew what she had to do. She couldn't keep putting her family in torture like that with her being around. She could here Harry puttering around in the bedroom getting ready for the day and she felt another pang of guilt for what she was about to do to him. Over the next week, Ginny made her preparations: she found a flat and a job. She even found a new name that she could adopt.

If only Ginny had noticed that Harry had been getting funny looks from her siblings. If only she had noticed that the looks they were getting were laced with humor and protectiveness and not just anger. Most importantly, if only Ginny knew that since that night of her engagement, she was pregnant with a beautiful girl. If only. Maybe she wouldn't have done what she did.

Harry noticed how weird she was acting but he figured that it was just her getting used to the idea of being engaged. But to him, life was still perfect and it would be as long as Ginny and his family, the Weasley's, were with him. How very wrong he was.

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A/N: This is my first fanfiction, and my first time writting anything besides an essay for school... so sorry if its awkward. I welcome constructive criticism!! And the actual chapters will be longer than the prologue

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	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was fifteen years later and Eliza Finch sitting in the living room of her small home watching her daughter frantically run around the house packing to get ready to go back to Hogwarts tomorrow. Lily Finch had gone the previous day to Diagon Alley to get her school supplies with her friends. She had stopped going with her Muggle mother after her first year. Lily noticed how odd her mother was in many different ways. For example, Eliza was so anxious about Diagon Alley and Platform 9 ¾ that first year that she had even dyed her red hair brown. Eliza stopped going into those magical places after that year. But, Eliza always wanted to hear stories about Hogwarts and what Lily was learning and didn't seem to mind if she did magic in the house when she wasn't supposed to. In fact, when Lily had gotten her letter from Hogwarts and the nice man from the ministry had come to explain about magic, Eliza almost seemed to be expecting this and Lily thought that her mother was proud to be going off into a strange new world. No, Lily could not figure her mother out.

"Lily, why don't you just use that summoning spell you told me about to find your broom?" Eliza said in a bored voice as if she was amused by how her daughter was stressing out about school. And, in fact, she was amused. She remembered getting ready for her fifth year at Hogwarts and how much better Lily had it without worrying about Death Eaters while shopping. Eliza thought with a pang in her chest at how it was during her fifth year that she had started dating Harry, back when she was Ginny, of course. Eliza hoped that Lily would have as good a year as she had. Not that she was going to tell her daughter any of this since she was living as the supportive non-magical mother these past years.

"Mum, I've told you this before! I'm underage in the wizarding world and not allowed to do magic outside Hogwarts," Lily stated exasperated at her mother's lack of understanding, flipping her medium-length red hair over her shoulder. "My Defense professor even told me that he was almost expelled from doing magic once! I honestly don't know how I have managed to escape the Ministry's detection with the number of times you have asked me to show you magic."

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry. Well, let me know if you need help with anything." Eliza smiled at her daughter's worries. Little did Lily know that her mother had cast a ward around the house as soon as Lily went off to Hogwarts so magic could not be detected within it. Eliza used her daughter's time away from home to brush up on her own magic and she now felt quite comfortable keeping her old wand with her knowing that she was about as good at her bat-bogey hex as she was when she left her home 15 years previously.

As the day slowly turned into night, the two women sat down for a quiet dinner.

"How did your date go last night Mum?" Lily asked curiously. Eliza had been dating a guy she met at a speed dating event her friend had convinced her to go to a month ago. She smiled at this question and told her daughter that it went very well and filled in all the details about the movie they had seen (a romantic comedy) and how they went out for ice cream afterwards even though it was chilly because they were both craving it. The entire time Eliza told about her evening, she was smiling. Lily ended up smiling too because she was happy to see her mother doing something besides work, even if she was one of the top chefs in the area, and play football for a women's league. Lily knew how strong Eliza was and that she could take care of herself and even play football evenly matched with many men, but she also knew how lonely Eliza was even if she pretended not to be. Lily hated to think of how her mother's life was when she was away at school and was very glad to see her finally date again.

"You know, Dylan teaches at a boarding school. But his is London which is why he lives in these suburbs," Eliza told Lily about her date.

"Am I ever going to meet him? I'd like to see the man who stole my mother's heart."

Eliza blushed at this comment. "He did not steal my heart! But I suppose if I am still seeing him when you come home for Christmas I'll be forced to introduce you then."

"You make it sound like you don't want to introduce me!" Lily said laughing.

"You're right, I don't." Eliza smirked at her daughter, knowing that Lily wouldn't take her seriously.

"Mum," Lily said shyly and much more seriously, "is this the first boyfriend you've had since my dad?"

Eliza stiffened at this comment but then sighed and relaxed saying "Yeah, it is. It has actually been really weird for me. But Dylan seems to understand. I guess his fiancée died a long time ago and he hasn't dated since then either. In fact, his friends forced him into going to the speed dating as well!" Eliza laughed but once again became serious, "But we both know that its hard it is to move on after loving someone so much like that. I guess that's why I can date him. He understands and we are both taking it slow. But, I must say, that I am glad I am seeing him."

Lily noticed the sparkle in Eliza's eye when she said that last bit, but soon it was gone and the eyes went back to the lonely look that they usually had when Lily said anything about her father. Lily decided to ask the question she had always wanted to know. Her mother seemed to be in a better mood tonight than usual. "Mum… how come you and my dad aren't still together? Did he die?"

Eliza was hesitant to get into this conversation. But she knew that she would have to tell her daughter the truth some day, so she might as well start with a partial truth now. "No. He didn't die."

"What happened then? Did you get a divorce?"

"No, we were never married." At Lily's shocked look Eliza quickly added to that. "We were engaged though. We had been together for 3 years steadily and almost 2 years off and on before that."

"Oh. Wait, that means that you started dating him when you were 15! That's how old I am now…"

Eliza chuckled at this, "And I knew him since I was 11. I had the biggest crush on him when I was younger, I couldn't even talk around him! Which was a bit of a problem, considering that he sometimes stayed at my house. I started to date other boys when I was 14 but your father finally came around a noticed me when I was 15, and it was just… perfect."

Lily was shocked by a few things now. Not only was her mum talking openly about this, but she looked so happy reminiscing about this man. How could they not be together if he didn't die!? And why was he staying at her home? That sounded a little risqué to her…

"But that doesn't make any sense, how come you are no longer together if it was perfect? And why in the world was he staying with you?"

"First of all, he was not staying with ME, he was staying with my family. He was actually best friend with one of my brothers." Lily blanched at the fact that her mother had a family but kept her mouth shut wanting to hear the answer to her other question. "And we were… forced… to break up. Its all very complicated. But I could no longer stay at home with my family and with him. I had to leave. It was the hardest thing I had ever done."

Lily almost choked on her words, "You have a family? You have brothers? I always assumed that all your family was dead or half way across the globe or something."

"Yeah, I have brothers. But they were the reason I had to leave. They blamed me for something, and they were justified in doing so. I just… just couldn't stay there any longer." Lily suddenly felt very guilty at seeing her mother's eyes fill up with tears. She had never given it any thought as to WHY Eliza was lonely, just that she was.

Her next question was asked in a whisper almost too quiet to hear, "What is his name?"

"Whose name?"

"My dad's."

"I can't tell you. Not yet."

"Why not?"

"I told you. It was all very complicated. I promise I will tell you someday. But please, just not now." Eliza looked to be on the verge of tears again so Lily let that go.

"Does he know about me?"

"No. I didn't know I was pregnant with you when I left."

"Oh."

There was silence for a long while after this as they finished their dinner and cleaned up the kitchen. It wasn't until Lily went back into her room to finish packing did either of them say anything again. Eliza was standing in her daughters doorway thinking over the situation she had gotten herself into, but more importantly, what she had done to her daughter. Lily has never known her large family and it is the one thing that Eliza hated most about what she did. Lily turned around and saw her mother standing there and tried to give a weak smile. Eliza looked into her daughter's amazing green eyes thinking only of the man she loved and left. If only Harry knew how amazing his daughter was.

"You're named after his mum, you know."

Lily was startled at her mother talking again. "Sorry?"

"Your name. Lily. It was your father's mother's name. She is also the person where you get your beautiful eyes from. Your father's eyes. Lily was what he always wanted to name his first daughter. And his first son would have been after his father."

"Does he have any other children?"

"I don't know," Eliza said quietly. "All I know is that he is alive and still in contact with my family. I know they are still alive. They know I am still alive but they don't know about you or where we are. I'm so sorry Lily." Eliza whispered the last line and started to have silent tears running down her face.

Lily walked over to hug her mother, both women crying. Lily knew how terrible her mother felt, and no matter how much she wanted to know about who her family was, she also wanted to help her mother and whatever had happened in the past must have been a good enough reason to live like this.

Eliza tossed and turned that night in bed silently crying over how much she had lost and what she had done to both Harry and Lily. Someday, she promised to herself, she would bring them together. She had to. Lily would live in the wizarding world and Harry was the very important to that world. Eliza quickly listened to make sure Lily had gone to bed and took out her old wand. Tapping the bottom of a drawer in her bedside table with it, she revealed a hidden compartment taking out an old picture from when she was 15. It was her first kiss with Harry. Someone, probably Colin Creevey, managed to capture that moment on film. She cried some more over Colin's death, the loss of Harry, and everything that had happened in the war. She then took out an old newspaper clipping showing her family in Egypt right before her second year at Hogwarts. She cried the hardest when she thought of Fred. It was her fault he was gone. That was why she left her family. She never wanted to tell Lily about that terrible fact but she knew that one day, she would have to. Eliza, previously Ginny, tucked her memories back in their hiding place sealing it again and put her want away. She then drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

At the same time that night, Lily laid in bed thinking about her unknown family. She probably had cousins out there around her age if her mum had brothers. She wondered if any of them were magical like her. Maybe she had even met them at Hogwarts. But the only people who could maybe look like her were the Weasley's, and they all came from a giant magical background while her own mother was definitely a muggle. So, maybe they weren't at Hogwarts. Lily remembered the time she went to the main library in London a few years ago to try and look up her family there. She had looked up Elizabeth Finch and to her surprise, it seemed as if she had just popped out of nowhere. Maybe her mum moved to Great Britain? No, she definitely had a British accent, even when she was incredibly sleepy and slurring her worlds. Lily thought back to what she had heard at dinner: her mum's family blamed her for something that was justified…. Maybe she was in some sort of witness protection program? Lily thought that sounded silly but either way, she was sure there was something funny about her mum's name.

The next morning, she set out to find out what it was. Eliza noticed how Lily was deep in thought during the entire car ride to King's Cross. It wasn't until she had parked the car did Lily finally break the silence.

"You're real name isn't Elizabeth, is it?" she asked quietly without looking at her mother.

Eliza was shocked and stuttered without knowing what to say at first until she finally just went with the simple answer. "No, it isn't. Neither is Finch. I legally changed it to that when I left."

"What is it then? Just your first name, I know you won't tell me your last name."

"I can't tell you that either. I promise you'll understand someday."

"Ok." Lily was disappointed. She had wanted to at least know that. But it was already 10:30 and she had to get to Platform 9 ¾ soon. "See you at Christmas, Mum. And I'll owl you sometime this week."

"Bye Lily. I love you. You know that right? I am sorry for what I did to my life but you are amazing and I love you. And I know that if your father knew you, he would be so proud of you too."

"Of course I know that. I love you too." Lily hesitated before adding, "And thanks, for saying that my dad would be proud."

Mother and daughter gave weak smiles to each other before Lily closed the door, got her trunk and owl out of the back of the car, and walked off towards the station feeling more confused than ever before.

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A/N: Hopefully this is better than the prologue. Let me know what you think... And I got the name Eliza Finch from two of my favorite fictional charachters: Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice and Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird... in case anyone was wondering. :) 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was already mid-November and Harry could tell that this term was much different than all the previous ones he had taught, but in a good way. Yes, it was definitely good.

The main change on his day-to-day schedule was the extra lessons he held for one of his students, Lily Finch. Harry knew it was wrong to have favorites but he couldn't help himself, Lily was definitely his favorite student. He had started to give her extra classes in Defense Against the Dark Arts this year because she was by far the most talented in this subject that he had ever taught in his last seven years after leaving the Auror office. Harry had even gotten permission from Headmaster Flitwick for these sessions using the argument that he had gotten special lessons from Professor Lupin in his third year and the DA in his fifth year was basically an extra class. Both Harry and Flitwick knew this logic was a stretch but the truth was, Lily's talent couldn't be denied.

But it wasn't Lily's talent that made her his favorite student. It wasn't even that she was a GOOD student. In fact, he often caught her talking to her friends in class and he could tell that a lot of her essays were done at the last minute. It also wasn't that she was the easiest student to teach either because she was very stubborn and often talked back to him, not in a disrespectful way but definitely with some attitude.

It was already five minutes to eight and Lily would be here soon. Harry shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. He had to discuss with her the direction their classes were going in. Finally, a few minutes after eight there was a knock on the door. Lily was late, as usual.

"Hello Professor!" Lily said as she walked cheerfully into his office.

"Why are you so smiley today, Lily?"

"Oh, I just got a letter from my mum. She seems so happy right now! She's been dating this guy for a while but I haven't met him yet." She said this with a slight frown but it quickly disappeared as she continued on, "She promised I could over the Christmas holiday if they were still dating. And they are. So that means that I finally get to put my seal of approval on their relationship... Or not." Lily said those last two words with a mischievous look in her eyes.

Harry chuckled at her ramblings. "Ok, I didn't need to hear your life story."

"You asked!"

"Ok, fine. But lets get to the point of you coming here, shall we?" Lily grinned and nodded so Harry took this as 'her seal of approval' to continue talking. "Alright, I have introduced you to many things in here that most students never learn at Hogwarts, such as the Patronus..."

"What? That doesn't make any sense. I thought you said your family friend Lupin taught you when he was a professor here," Lily interrupted.

"Yes, but that was a special circumstance. He taught me separately because we had dementors around the school and they were effecting me worse than other students. Thankfully it was only for my 3rd year... but it was extremely useful later on as well."

"You learned how to cast a Patronus Charm in your third year!? Wow... Now you have made me feel worse for it taking me so long to learn it in my fifth year. Thanks a lot!" She said smirking.

"Don't worry," Harry said trying to hold back a laugh. "Most adults can't even produce one, that's why it isn't even taught at NEWT level. And the fact that you were able to learn is the reason why I am teaching you separately like this. So let me finish what I am trying to say!"

"Fine, fine. Let's hear it then." It was times like this that made Harry wonder why he favored her, yet it seemed to strengthen the feelings anyway.

"Ok, well, like I said, I have taught you a lot of things that most people never see unless they continue their education in Defense after Hogwarts. But I feel that we have reached a point where what there is to teach is kinda... well, dangerous." Harry looked to see Lily's reaction to this bit of news and she seemed to be interested yet not overly excited, which was perfect he thought. No one needs to be excited in anything especially dangerous unless they want to get themselves killed or harm others. So, he continued. "I have spoken with the Headmaster about this and Kinglsey as well and..."

"You've spoken to Minister Shacklebolt about me!?"

"What did I say about interupting?" While Harry said this sternly, they both knew he was amused and she was impressed.

"Oh, right, sorry."

"Anyway, we have all decided that you can be taught more in-depth Defense Against the Dark Arts, but you will need to speak with an Auror before we begin and I will need to discuss this with your guardian, namely your mother. Sound ok so far?"

"Yes... but what kind of in-depth Defense will I be learning? How is it dangerous?"

"Well, some of it is not quiet as dangerous as others, but definitely more advanced, such as Occlumency, or even illegal, such as fighting the Imperius Curse. Of course, someone else will need to teach you Occlumency because I could never master it." Harry laughed darkly at his memories of trying to learn Occlumency. "So, if there is something you can't master either, don't worry, no one can do everything! Not even Dumbledore, you know."

Lily started to open her mouth to ask what the famous Dumbledore couldn't do but Harry cut her off. "But, we are not here to discuss my old professor. There are other things essential to learning Defense that students don't begin to learn at Hogwarts until their seventh year, and even then it isn't really enough to be truly proficient in Defense. Unfortunately, like I said, the subject matter can be dangerous and most students either cannot handle learning those things or... to be honest, I would rather not let some students even be taught some of this. What I want to teach you is the knowledge of the Dark Arts because the best way to defend yourself is to know what you are up against. And that is a very serious and hard area of knowledge to comprehend. But," Harry grinned at her, "we all agree that the wisdom should be passed down, and you are one of the perfect people to know it."

Lily sat there stunned at this honor. She was both excited at the idea of learning so much yet nervous as to how much they expected out of her.

Harry seemed to realize her nervousness, recognizing the feeling since he felt it many times in his teenage years. "Don't worry Lily. Like I said, if there is something that you can't quiet grasp, its fine. And if at any time you feel like you don't want to learn any more, we can stop."

"Ok." Lily replied shakily. "It's a plan. So… when do we start?"

Harry laughed at her willingness to overcome her fear and learn what needed to be learned. It reminded him of himself when he was preparing for Voldemort's defeat. And that is when it hit him. That is why she is his favorite student. Lily reminds him of himself and the people he loves! She is stubborn yet smart and she is strong and witty yet sees so much humour and love in the world. No wonder why she gets along so well with the Weasley children at Hogwarts…

"Professor! Focus!" Lily said laughing breaking Harry out of his thought.

"Oh, sorry Lily. Like I said, we won't be able to start until after you have talked with the Auror and I have talked with your mother. So not until after the holidays."

"Alright. Does that mean that our lessons are postponed until then?"

"Yep."

"YES! I seriously need to do some Christmas shopping and all your silly professors seem to think that fifth year is an important year for us with all the homework we are getting. I mean, its not like we have a big life-changing test at the end of the year or anything!"

They both laughed and Lily left saying goodbye and thinking how Professor Potter was her favorite teacher.

* * *

A few days later, Harry was talking with his fellow professor about the other reason he was enjoying this term more than others.

"So, rumor has it that you have been sneaking out to go on dates Harry." Neville asked with a smirk while they were eating in the Great Hall.

"Well, this time, the rumors are true. Probably because you have been spreading them, and not Rita Skeeter." Harry retorted.

"Alright, you caught me! I was just asking some of our colleagues if they knew where you kept disappearing too! So, tell me, who is she? How did you meet? Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera."

"Well, she's a muggle living in the outskirts of London. Her name is Eliza Finch but she thinks my name is Dylan Ward and I have brown hair and blue eyes. I also change my facial structure a bit. I'm just glad she hasn't suggested us going somewhere that requires ID yet."

"Why do you do that?!"

Harry shrugged, "Well, I met her through a speed dating thing that a friend from my old Auror office convinced me to go to, and I was afraid that there would be someone there that recognized me, or worse someone who would tell Rita Skeeter. And now I can't change it back."

"Makes sense, although that could get hard if you keep dating her. Eventually you will have to tell the truth."

"I know. Its hard too because I really do like her. We have only been dating for about 4 months or so and I just feel… a connection with her I guess."

"Well, I'm happy for you Harry. Did you say her last name is Finch? Do you think…"

Harry interrupted him, "No. Definitely not. First of all, Eliza's daughter goes to a boarding school in London for theatre. Second of all, they look nothing alike. Eliza has dark brown hair that is curly almost to the point of it being like Hermione's, but not as frizzy, and her face is round and welcoming. She actually looks like a cross between you and Hermione! That's kinda disturbing!"

They both laughed at that idea. "That is! When is the next time you are going to see her?"

"This Saturday actually. It's a Hogsmeade weekend and therefore there will be less students wanting to stop by my office."

"Sounds great. It is good to see you going out with someone who can make you happy again." Neville stood up at this saying "Well, I had better get back to my office. I have detention with Fred Weasley again. I swear, he is just like his namesake. At least there aren't two of them running around!" At this, Neville left chucking to himself.

Harry remained there eating his treacle tart slowly as he was deep in thought. Eliza really was the first woman to make him happy since Ginny disappeared. At least he knew she was alive. But where and how she was doing was unknown and that thought caused a pang in his heart. It was just easier to tell outsiders that his heartache was because she had died. Luckily, Eliza understood his pain as she felt something similar for her ex-husband. A small smile played on Harry's lips as he thought of Eliza and how much fun they had together. They could be joking around or completely serious and, still, Harry loved to be there with her. In fact, even thought he was scared to admit it to himself, he was starting to feel as thought he was falling in love with her. Something he hadn't felt in fifteen years.

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A/N: I was planning on writing two chapters tonight and having it up much earlier in the day but tonight was the fuck 'SC bonfire on campus. So if any of you lovely readers are going to be watching college football this weekend, you bitches better be rooting for UCLA! hehe. Anyway, please let me know what you think and if there is anything I can be doing better. And no, this time there is no special meaning behind the name Dylan Ward. ;) 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was late in the afternoon that Saturday and Eliza had just gotten back from her football match. She quickly slumped into her favorite armchair and closed her eyes smiling. She was exhausted but extremely happy since her team had won, putting them in place for the league championships. Her teammates kept trying to tell Eliza that they always won because of her willingness to put herself out there and wasn't afraid of flying through the air or a rouge kick. Eliza chuckled to herself at how little they knew and that this game was for children when you compared it to the violence of quidditch. She missed the game dearly but was happy settling with football in the muggle world.

The clock in the kitchen chimed 5 o'clock and Eliza suddenly jumped up from her chair. She need to leave to meet Dylan for their date in an hour! She ran into her bathroom and quickly showered so she wouldn't be so sweaty and gross for her new boyfriend. While she could wash up rapidly, choosing her clothing was a different matter. No matter how sporty Eliza was, she always fell into the girly trap of wanting to look amazing. She had done it for Harry as well and she could feel herself acting the same way towards Dylan as she used to for Harry. The thought scared her. She was afraid to feel anything towards another man after she left the wizarding world.

In front of her lay five different outfits. Eliza frowned at them and pulled out her wand to change her appearance to the one that Dylan knew. She wasn't really sure why she had gone in disguise to the speed dating event and blamed it on paranoia even though it was clearly a muggle event and no one there would have recognized her as Ginny. Eliza's hair changed from red to brown and slowly became more and more curly while her face became softer and rounder hiding her prominent cheekbones. She knew where her inspiration for her look came from but pretended to herself not to realize that her past friends had an influence on her still.

Just as Eliza was slipping on the outfit she finally decided on, her phone rang. Her heart sank thinking it was Dylan and he would have to cancel their date for an unknown reason. But she looked at the caller ID and smiled at her team's captain's name. Eliza always had an overactive imagination, there really wasn't any reason why Dylan would cancel their date.

"Hello there Bridget."

"Eliza!!! We are in the championships!" Bridget squealed loudly like a teenage girl. If Eliza didn't know better from being her teammate, she would have thought that Bridget was the 'damsel in distress' type who loved makeup and pedicures a little too much. But truly, Bridget was one of the strongest women she knew, even if she did like to indulge herself in girly things.

"Oh yeah, I kinda remember what happened this afternoon… we won right?" Eliza said making fun of Bridget's obvious statement.

"Oh shove it. Anyway, most of the team is getting together tonight at the pub on Perdue Road. Come." Eliza knew it was meant to be an order.

"Sorry Bridg, I have a date in 15 minutes that I leaving for soon."

"Ooo is it with that guy you are always day dreaming about? Well, after the date come join us at the pub and make sure you bring him along!"

"Ok, I'll try," Eliza lied. "Have fun and don't challenge too many men to a game of darts. It's not their fault you always win!"

"Damn, you know me too well… Alright, see ya."

As Eliza hung up the phone and climbed in her car to meet Dylan at the play they were going to be seeing all she could think about was the hole she had dug herself into. She could never introduce Dylan to her friends unless she told Dylan that she was a witch and that she charmed her appearance. And she wouldn't tell Dylan until she had come to terms with her past, including telling Lily. Eliza suddenly felt extremely guilty. She had promised Lily that she would introduce Dylan to her at Christmas! She didn't know how she was going to get out of that one without telling Lily everything… Eliza even played with the idea of standing Dylan up and then breaking up with him just because she was afraid to face her past.

Fortunately for Dylan, and Eliza's conscience, Eliza arrived at the theatre before she could make a decision.

Harry stood under the large marquee that said "Wicked, the musical" in bright green letters and watched as Eliza walked towards the entrance to the theatre. He smiled and held out his arm to Eliza so could wrap her own arm around his. As they both walked up the stairs to their seats they were independently having the same thought of how ironic it was that the play was about a witch and wizard.

"Have you read the book?" Eliza asked Harry making him realize that this was another situation where his lack of being in the muggle world causes problems.

"I didn't know there was one," he answered honestly.

"Oh yes, although I've heard that it is completely different than the play. But I did see the movie first, of course."

Harry gulped. "Movie? This is based on a movie?"

Harry could see Eliza stare at him in amazement for a moment before answering "You know, 'The Wizard of Oz'? Its an old Hollywood classic." After Harry shook his head she launched into a brief summary of the play that turned out to be not so brief as she was cut short by the darkening of the house lights. He loved how she got so passionate about her favorite things, like football and cooking and movies. He supposed that was why her daughter was in theatre.

As the play progressed Harry felt himself being amazed at how magical muggles could make it seem. The Dursley's certainly never made anything seem magical. But it wasn't until the second act where he really felt connected with the words they were singing.

"_Kiss me too fiercely, hold me too tight. I need help believing you're with me tonight."_

Harry looked over towards Eliza and saw that she was enthralled by the play as well. He did need help believing that he was so lucky as to find someone like her. Yes, he still missed Ginny, but Eliza just seemed so perfect and filled the void in his heart.

Just after Harry looked back to the stage, Eliza looked over at Dylan wondering how she ended up with someone so perfect from some silly speed dating.

"_Maybe I'm brainless, maybe I'm wise, but you've got me seeing through different eyes. Somehow I've fallen under your spell."_

Unknowing to each other, they both laughed to themselves at that last line. If only the other knew how real spells really were and how important they were to their lives. Harry held Eliza's hand tightly reveling in the fact that he was able to touch her, even if just her hand.

The play ended and Harry led Eliza out of the theatre and over to her car, both passionately discussing how much they loved the play until it was time to part ways.

"How did you get here, Dylan?"

Harry thought quick on the spot replying smoothly, "On the Underground."

"Oh, no, let me drive you home at least!"

At this, Harry stuttered a little bit not knowing how to get around the fact that he apparated here from Hogsmeade. "Um – I – You don't have to do that. I – I was hoping that maybe we could still do something tonight?" Harry surprised himself, he was planning on being careful and not wanting to let things get to far in an attempt to protect himself. But it was true, he wanted to spend time with Eliza no matter what his mind was trying to tell him.

Eliza giggled "Ok that sounds good to me. Why don't you come back to my house and I can make you something to eat?"

Silently, Eliza cursed herself. She didn't mean to invite Dylan back to her place like that. It sounded awfully suggestive. Plus, she had pictures all over the place of what she really looked like and what Lily looked like. Even if Dylan was a muggle he would notice that something was out of place there…

"Ok, that sounds great. I've been dying to taste this food you claim to be so talented in making." Harry teased her.

Eliza stuck her toungue out at him and the both climbed into the car. She chatted animatedly the entire drive to her house and Harry was so busy watching her eyes light up at the things she was talking about that he didn't notice where they were going or what her house looked like. In fact, it wasn't until she pulled into the garage that he realized that they were no longer in the city. He didn't really care though since he was with her.

"Dylan, can you wait here for one minute so I can clean up my place real quick? I just need to put a few things away…"

Harry laughed "You don't need to clean up for me! You should see what my flat looks like!"

Eliza seemed to look rather anxious though and practically begged him to stay here and she would be right back. Harry agreed although he was curious as to what she seemed to be so embarrassed about. She couldn't be that messy or it would take more than a minute to clean up. She must need to hide something. Harry decided he didn't care, though. After all, he was definitely hiding something big from her.

When she came back to bring him into the living room, he noticed that it was very comfortable and homey, although there was a distinct lack of personal pictures on the wall. He shrugged it off and sat down on the sofa with her.

Harry was scared of sitting so close to her in such a private setting. All of their previous dates had been in fairly public places like restaurants or football matches or even a carnival. He smiled at the memory of them snogging on the ferris wheel. He broke out of his memories when she talked quietly.

"Are you actually hungry?"

Harry smiled and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "No" he whispered into her ear.

The locked eyes and both saw love in each other's eyes. But there was also fear of getting hurt and what their future may hold. Both Harry and Eliza understood each other and they slowly moved towards each other ending in a gentle kiss.

If there was any part of the play they saw that night that could explain their feelings, it would be from the same song that Harry felt so connected with.

"_Say there's no future, for us as a pair. And though I may know… I don't care!"_

They nervously walked upstairs together to the master bedroom that was also strangely devoid of photographs. Both Harry and Eliza were scared for what was going to happen but they were so lost in the moment with each other that they really did not care about the consequences. Both passionately and gently, they stripped each other of their clothing and pulled each other onto her bed.

The next morning, Eliza woke slowly and smiling remembering the night before. She rolled over to see Dylan and her heart dropped when he wasn't there. After she panicked for a minute, Eliza noticed a note on the pillow next to hers.

"Eliza,

I am so very sorry to leave you this morning but I have to get back to the school. I really am not even allowed to spend a night away from the school without getting permission first! But I'm glad I did. I'll miss you and what do you think about going ice skating next Sunday since everything is becoming decorated for the holidays? I'll give you a call later in the week.

Truly yours,

Dylan"

Eliza smiled at his letter. True, she was disappointed that he had to leave but she understood why he had too. And he said that he was hers! Barely any thoughts went through Eliza's mind other than Dylan as she walked to the kitchen and slowly made herself breakfast. When she undid the charms to hid the photographs of her and Lily, though, a feeling a dread returned. What had she gotten herself into!? What was going to happen when Lily, the most important person in her life, insited on meeting Dylan, the man that she was falling in love with?

* * *

A/N: Oh my goodness, I cannot stress how amazing the play "Wicked" is! I wasn't planning on advertising it in my play or even turning this chapter into a semi-songfic as I generally despise them, but it just worked too perfect with the way my story was going… And seriously, I have seen Wicked twice already, both with the Broadway cast in San Francisco and the Los Angeles cast, and I want to see it a third time, in addition to me listening to the soundtrack over and over again… so if you can, go see it! If you want to hear what this song sounds like, go to http:// youtube. com/ watch?vQw8B2f1bfbM (without the spaces...) and it is a minute into the video… the ending of the song was kinda my inspiration for how Eliza and Dylan's night ended as well hehe 

And let me know what you think of this chapter of course! Thanks :) I'm thinking about five more chapters for my story lines… but we'll see how that goes.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lily was happy to be home for the Christmas holidays. She always was, but this year she had a few more reasons to be excited other than the few presents and seeing her mother. This year, she would be meeting this mysterious Dylan her mother seemed to have fallen for. And this year Professor Potter would be stopping by before Christmas in order to get permission for her advanced class. Lily was intentionally not telling Eliza about her professor's visit because she knew her Eliza was very interested in what happened at Hogwarts and Lily figured that it could be a surprise for her to learn even more about the magical world.

There was one glitch in her plan for the holidays though: her mum seemed to be avoiding the topic of Dylan completely. Whenever Lily tried to ask when she was going to meet him Eliza would pretend not to hear or would suddenly get distracted by something else. It was rare that she got an actual answer, but that answer always turned out to be something vague and noncommittal like "soon" or "I'm not sure." Lily was starting to think that there was something else going on with this relationship of hers.

"Did he break up with you?" Lily blurted out one shopping trip after only a week at home.

"What? Who?" Eliza responded, quiet confused, but also distracted by the increasing prices of her favorite type of cookies.

"Don't tell me you are dating more than one bloke now," Lily said, dripping with sarcasm.

"No! Don't be silly. I just wasn't expecting that question. No, Dylan hasn't broken up with me. Why do you ask?" Eliza immediately regretted asking because she knew why Lily was so curious.

"Because you keep avoiding anything to do with me meeting him. Are you scared to introduce your witch of a daughter to him?"

"Don't say witch like that Lily."

"Like what?"

"Like it's a bad thing."

"Well, if its not bad then why can't I meet Dylan. You promised."

Eliza sighed at this truth and at her very stubborn and curious daughter. She frowned slightly realizing that this was a bad combination that Lily got from both of her parents. "I will try to introduce you as soon as I can. Its – just that – that he may not be able to leave his school much over the holidays. I guess he is the teacher on duty." Eliza hated lying to her daughter but she didn't know what else to do. She promised herself that she would tell Lily the truth someday soon but knew in the back of her head that she was going to put it off as long as possible. Little did Eliza know that this someday soon was only a few days away.

* * *

Harry had a busier holiday ahead of him than usual. First there was the meeting with Lily's mother. Then there was his date with Eliza. After that he had a family dinner with the Weasleys. Next, the holidays, also with the Weasleys. After that, he hoped to have at least one more date with Eliza before having to go back to Hogwarts. Maybe he could even meet her daughter who he assumed would be home from her theatre school. 

Harry was grateful that Molly and Arthur continued to include him in their family after Ginny left. For a while there he was scared that that would severe his ties with them. Fortunately, both Ron and Molly had convinced him that he was a part of their family long before he started dating Ginny and that he was a brother and son to them no matter what. And it was true, Ron and Hermione's children called him Uncle Harry along with the rest of that generation of red-heads.

But first to the more pressing matters of Lily's class. He apparated to an alleyway near Lily's house and walked the remaining distance to the nice two-story home. It kind of reminded him of Privet Drive, but at least here some of the homes had been painted different colors. Harry smiled as he approached Lily's front door, her house was a pale yellow and not just a boring off white color that most homes seemed to be.

After he knocked, Harry could hear a woman distantly yelling for Lily to answer the door.

"Hey Professor! Right on time, as usual. Come in!"

Harry smiled and crossed the threshold into the sparse foyer. The same distant voice came from the back of the house. "Lily, who is it? I'm in the middle of planning out a new menu for the restaurant."

"You didn't tell her I was coming?" Harry frowned down at his favorite student.

"Er, no… I wanted to surprise her because she loves learning about Hogwarts. Wait here, I'll be right back. Don't worry." Lily grinned sheepishly and then ran down the hallway towards the voice.

Harry shook his head at her retreating back, willing himself not to follow or snoop around the house realizing that it would be rather rude. But he couldn't help but listen to the conversation floating down the hall.

"Who was it?"

"One of my professors from school. He wants to ask you about my extra cla–"

"One of your professors!?" the woman interrupted, sounding both irritated and worried.

"Yes. I wanted it to be a surprise because I know how much you like hearing about magic." Harry could tell Lily sounded worried.

"I – I can't see him right now. I'm – uh – busy."

"You have to though! I need your permission to continue on with those extra Defense classes I was telling you about!" Lily sounded as though she was about to cry.

The response though was cold and almost fearful. "No, I can't go out there. You have my permission. Please ask him to leave."

Harry was suddenly very frustrated by this woman. From all the stories Lily had told, he thought that telling Mrs. Finch would be much more pleasant than this. Didn't she care at all that her daughter was now going to be learning about Dark magic? At this thought, he walked down the hallway with the intention of chastising Mrs. Finch for not fully understanding what was at stake, in addition to being so rude to him.

All thoughts and purpose went out of his mind when he saw Lily's mother's side profile though. He recognized it instantly. How could be forget? She didn't seem him though and quickly turned back to the table she was working at. Harry continued to stare in shock at the back of her head and her red hair for a few moments until Lily's voice broke him out of his state of disbelief.

"Oh, Professor! I didn't see you there. Um, mum, this is the professor I was telling you about, Professor Potter."

At those words, the woman whipped her head around to finally look at him.

"Gi-Ginny?"

* * *

Eliza was desperate. Lily had just told her that a professor from Hogwarts was here. In her home. Where she was hiding. From anyone magical. And that included Hogwarts professors. She didn't know which one it was but the chances of them knowing Ginny was extremely high. Eliza practically begged her daughter to not let this person stay. She was scared of them finding her, but more importantly, she was afraid of Lily's reaction when she found out that her own mother had been lying to her about some very important things. 

Everything changed though when Lily named the professor. At the sound of the name 'Potter' so many thoughts ran through her head that when she looked back at this moment, she was amazed that so many feeling occur in such a brief space of time. There was fear, guilt, hope, surprise, and the most unexpected feeling was love.

Eliza felt herself spin around and stare into those green eyes that were so much like her daughter's. No. Their daughter's. Oh shit. What had she gotten herself into? He would find out. More importantly, she would find out. At that moment, Eliza couldn't remember why she had stopped being Ginny and was just in complete shock. It wasn't until Harry said the name that she hadn't been called in fifteen years that it all came rushing back to her.

* * *

Lily was shocked and hurt by how her mother was reacting. Why was she absolutely refusing to see Professor Potter? How could she just give permission for something like that? She didn't even know what the class would include. But Lily was also confused as to why her mother sounded so scared, she had never been frightened by anything magical before, in fact, she usually embraced it. Maybe it was something similar to how she was anxious at Diagon Alley and Platform 9 ¾… 

Then she saw her favorite professor standing there in the open doorway. He was looking at her mother like he had never seen a woman before. This scared her. Nothing, and she meant NOTHING, surprised Professor Potter! Not even when she was forced to tell him how she had snuck into Hogsmeade on a weekday through the secret passage on the third floor.

The thing that happened next startled Lily even more. All she had done was acknowledge his presence and the next thing she knew, both adults were staring at each other. And then Professor Potter stuttered out a name: Ginny.

After what seemed to be a few decades, Eliza seemed to have found her voice and spoke quickly and without leaving a question. "Lily, please go upstairs."

"But –" Lily desperately wanted to know what was going on.

"Go. Now."

Lily gave her mother an evil look before looking back at her professor's stunned face and stomped up the stairs, slamming her door. She quickly realized that she couldn't eavesdrop on them though if her door was closed. Silently, she opened her door and crept out onto the landing where she could just make out what they were saying.

"Is it really you Ginny?" she heard Professor Potter say. Ginny? Why would he be calling her that? Her name was Eliza. It suddenly hit her, Eliza WASN'T her real name! Was it Ginny? But that still didn't explain why he knew her muggle mother's name.

"Why are you here Harry?" Eliza sounded on the verge of tears and it panged Lily to hear her mother like this. That feeling was quickly replaced by the realization that Eliza knew who Harry Potter was. That means that she was Ginny. Whoever that was.

"I came about Lily's extra classes that I…" he trailed away in thought before saying quietly, "Your daughter's name is Lily." It wasn't a question.

"Yes," Eliza, or Ginny, answered even quieter still so Lily was wondering if she even heard it right before she heard her mother add in the same whisper, "Why don't we go outside and talk. I don't want to be overheard."

Lily cursed her mother for knowing her so well and quickly ran back to her room and jumped on her bed in time to look out the window to see her professor and mother walking out the backdoor to the garden. Lily desperately wanted to know what was going on. Who was her mother? Why did the famous Harry Potter know her? What in the world did any of this have to do with her name?

Lily could see them talking and they both seemed shocked and scared yet mad at the same time. Lily kept thinking about her name. What was so special about it? Professor Potter's mother was named Lily. But what did that have to do with her? But as soon the professor started pointing towards the house and then pointing to himself she realized what it was. She was named after her father's mother. Harry Potter's mother was named Lily. He was pointing at the house and Eliza, or Ginny, was crying. Harry Potter was her father.

But this was not enough of a shock for poor Lily for one day. Oh no. What happened next flipped her world and what she thought she knew upside down. The two in the garden began arguing and yelling over something she couldn't hear but she could see their faces turning red and their eyes narrowing. Suddenly, Lily watched as her muggle mother pulled out a wand from her coat. Lily would have fainted if she hadn't begun to sprint down the stairs with only one thought in mind: her mother was a witch.

* * *

A/N: GAH! This was a difficult chapter to write. Took me forever. And the ironic thing is that this is the part of the story that I based the rest of my story around. This is the bit that I have had in my mind since the summer. I guess that was why it was so hard to write? Plus, its so much longer than I thought it would be! So I decided to split into two chapters instead and ill finish the second half as soon as I can. Anyway, I hope you all like it and, once again, I probably would have had it up earlier if it wasn't for the fact that UCLA sadly lost to USC and my friends and I decided to drive over to Chinatown and eat our emotions. The stupid thing is that I don't even like American football… I just have a lot of school spirit. So, please, a moment of silence for my dear Bruins… 

And review! Thanks to those who have! Your encouragement makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :) and feel free to criticize if you deem necessary… Sorry if there are typos. It is 4am California time and I am too tired to proof read…


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ginny, the woman previously known as Eliza, saw her daughter throw open the back door right as she was sending a Bat-Bogey Hex towards Harry. Instantly, Harry began using words she would rather he didn't in front of her daughter. At the same time, Lily just stared. She was first staring at Ginny's wand. Then she shifted towards Harry and his attempt to swat away the flying bogies. Finally, she rested her eyes on Ginny. Ginny felt herself recoil in guilt at the look of both hurt and amazement in Lily's eyes. She quickly took the hex off of Harry.

"Lily, listen –" Ginny began an attempt to apologize or explain or something but Lily quickly interrupted her.

"You're a WITCH!?" Lily all but yelled. "And you never told me! You've been playing dumb this entire time making me explain things that you already knew about! I – I feel like you've been lying to me this entire time and – and – I don't even know you – or something."

Once again, Ginny tried to open her mouth to try and settle things but this time Harry spoke first. "You mean she doesn't know anything about you!? She really thinks you are just an average Muggle?"

Ginny stopped trying to talk because she felt like she couldn't even if she tried. She simply nodded her head in response to both Lily and Harry. No one spoke for a minute after this as if the conversation was in a foreign language and it to be translated. Ginny felt that if listened hard enough, she could have heard the wheels in their brain churning. Finally, they both tried to start talking at once.

"Is he really…" "Does she know…" "…my father?" "…about me?"

Lily and Harry shot each other nervous glances as they answered each other's questions. Ginny, on the other hand, thought that she might die from guilt. She knew her face must be something similar to that of a young child who was just caught with a hand in the cookie jar.

Slowly, Ginny opened her mouth and whispered, "No one knew the truth expect for me."

Harry's face flashed with sadness and compassion. "Why don't we go inside and try to figure this all out?"

Lily led the way back into the kitchen where they all sat around the table. No one was talking. Finally, Lily couldn't take it anymore and blurted out "Who are you?" to her mother.

Ginny looked as though she was about to cry and Lily scooted her chair over to hug her mother. "My name is Ginny. Ginerva Molly Weasley."

"Weasley? You're a Weasley?" Lily asked in shock while silently thanking Merlin that she never had a crush on any of the Weasley boys.

"So are you. Where do you think you get your red hair and temper from?" Ginny said with some amusement in her quiet voice.

There was more silence after this statement as Lily had to fully process who she was. It was quickly broken, though, by her mother's voice again.

"Although, technically, you are a Potter." This time, her voice held no amusement and actually sounded fearful to Lily.

"So it really is true? She's – She is – my daughter?" Harry spoke up in amazement.

"Yes." Ginny, it seemed, had gone back to being unable to fully speak.

"How come I never knew about any of this? About the wizarding world? About … anything?! Why are you living as a muggle away from your family?" Lily could have continued asking more questions but she needed to inhale some oxygen and Ginny took this opportunity to curb what easily could become a display of the famous Weasley temper.

"I'm living as a muggle because I left my family behind. And Harry." Ginny shot a nervous glance towards him but he still seemed too shocked to speak much so she continued addressing her daughter. "I was afraid of what I had done in the wizarding world so I hid in the muggle world and unknowingly took you with me."

"You said before term started that your brothers blamed you for something and that was why you left."

Harry was once again shaken out of silence at this. "They blamed you for something? Ron never mention anything like that to me."

Ginny sighed, "Of course he wouldn't mention it to you. He knew you would take my side."

"What was it then?"

"Fred."

"Who's Fred?" Lily demanded.

"One of my brothers." Ginny hesitated before adding, "He died in the Battle of Hogwarts."

Lily gasped in horror and silence lingered over the kitchen again.

"What do you mean? They never blamed for anything that had to do with Fred." Harry finally said.

"Of course they did! It was my fault that he died!" Ginny practically yelled in frustration and anger, but most of all sadness.

"It was not your fault! Don't ever say that! If ANYONE was to claim fault here, it would be me. And even I am not thick enough to do that. It was Voldemort and his Death Eater's fault and theirs alone!" Harry burst out angrily. He took a few deep breaths and sat back down, not realizing that he had stood.

"But he was attacked when he was trying to protect me. I didn't stay in the Room of Requirement. If I had like I was told, he wouldn't have died." Ginny said quietly again. Lily was rather taken aback by her mother's frequently changing emotions and volumes, almost as much as she was constantly being surprised by her knowledge of the magic and its world.

"If this, if that." Harry said softly. Lily was noticing that their volumes seemed to change together. "If you hadn't escaped, your mother would never have had the drive to kill Bellatrix, and then Voldemort would never have come after your mother, and I would have never had cast that shield charm. Who knows how the timing of the whole evening would have been changed. What if Bellatrix never died? Could I have killed Voldemort with her there to protect him? Who else would she have killed? Think about it that way." Harry paused before continuing gently. "Fred died the only way he would have liked to die. Not only was he laughing, but he was protecting his sister and the world that he loved so much. No one blames you Ginny. They never have."

Ginny took a few slow breaths of air after Harry's speech as if she was meditating. Another terrible thought flashed through her mind.

"If they didn't blame me, why were they all glaring at me and giving me weird looks!?" Ginny spat out stubbornly. "They especially did it when George was saying how Fred and Angelina would sneak out of their flat at night."

Harry only stared at her for a few second before bursting out in laughter. Ginny immediately looked shocked and hurt while Lily was terribly curious as to what could possibly be so funny. It was quite clear that her mother had gotten something completely wrong.

"Why the hell are you bloody laughing at me Potter?"

Harry tried to stop laughing and become serious but couldn't manage it. It took him a full minute or two to regain his composure. "They weren't glaring at you over Fred's death, trust me."

"Oh, really. Then pray tell, what was it about?"

"Us."

"Us?"

"Didn't I just say that? Yes." Harry said amused again at her stubbornness. "They were always giving me weird looks too, actually. And I'm sure I got much worse looks than you did. I even ended up with a bruise once, but I hid it from you…" He trailed off happily thinking about his memories.

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"Oh, sorry. Right. Well..." Harry suddenly became nervous. "It was because we were – were… Er, the looks were over how we…" He was now looking down at his fingers and shooting awkward glances towards Lily.

And Lily suddenly understood why her mother's older brothers were constantly giving them looks. Hadn't she heard just a few weeks ago Victorie complaining about the exact same thing? Except that had been about her younger cousins… but that was beside the point, boys acted the same way at any age.

"They were giving you the evil eye because you were sleeping together." Lily said deciding to put the professor that was her father out of his misery.

The two adults stared at her statement and how unashamedly she had said it. Lily looked at the both of them in disbelief at how naïve they considered her to be.

"Oh, come on. Its not like I couldn't figure that out. Obviously I turned up somehow, didn't I?" She said rolling her eyes.

Ginny laughed for the first time that day since Harry had arrived. "That's true. And thank goodness for that," she said pulling her daughter into a tight hug. "So they were all glaring over the fact of me being with you?"

"Not quiet BEING with me. They were all happy to see us together. But your brothers weren't particularly fond of you sleeping with me. Although Ron wasn't that bad since he was off doing the same thing with Hermione. But George was definitely the worst. He felt that since Ron wasn't doing his part to be over-protective, he should step it up a notch. I guess that must have been why you felt that it was about Fred."

"And that fact that it really started when he said how Fred would sneak out with Angelina…" A look of realization crossed Ginny's face. "Oh. It was the sneaking out part that the looks were about, not the Fred part." At this, she burst suddenly into tears.

Both Harry and Lily quickly went to comfort her. Lily was utterly stunned to see her mother cry like this, it had never happened before in her memory. Harry on the other hand, realized that this was a step forward to having Ginny Weasley back completely.

In between sobs, Ginny managed to get out one sentence, "I am – SO – sorry – Lily!"

"Oh Mum don't worry. While this one might actually be your fault, I forgive you." Lily said both sincerely and with bit of humour. "I understand why you did it. Plus, you didn't know about me when you left did you? Its not like you intentionally did this. But you did intentionally give me a great home to grow up in and at least I know now. Things will all work itself out. You'll see."

Ginny stopped sobbing and looked sniffling at her daughter. "When did you get to be so smart?"

"What a cliché way to end this moment, Mum." Lily responded teasingly and all three of them laughed before Ginny hugged Lily and whispered her thanks.

"So, er, you know, that means that you are my daughter." Harry said awkwardly to Lily, knowing they would have to discuss that eventually.

"Oh. Well, yeah." Lily said this like it was the most obvious thing in the world, which it was after the previous conversation.

"Er, so, are you okay with that?"

"Well, I guess if I had to choose anyone to be my father, you probably would have been my top choice. You are my favorite professor after all." Lily told him seriously.

Harry grinned widely at this. "That's perfect because you've always been my favorite student."

Ginny once again started crying, but this time in happiness. "I'm just – so – glad everything – has worked out – so far," she said in between her tears.

"Everything will work out in the end Ginny. Don't worry." Harry reassured her.

"Professor? I mean… um…" Lily stuttered realizing she wasn't sure how to address the man sitting next to her anymore.

"Why don't you just call me Harry for now until we all figure everything out and get used to the new situation we are in?"

Lily sighed in relief for this easy solution. "Ok, Harry." It was still awkward to call him that after calling him Professor Potter for so long, but the best option at the moment. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"No, not at all," came his quick reply.

"Do you – have a family? Like, with other children?" she inquired timidly as Ginny tensed up at the question.

"No, I don't." Harry said quietly looking only at the table cloth not noticing Ginny's obvious loosening up.

Lily sighed in relief again "Oh, good. Because that would be awkward beyond belief if I had to meet them."

Harry chuckled and then became more straight-faced, "You know, Lily, you can ask anything. There is a lot you deserve to know."

"Okay, I have another question then." Lily turned to address her mother in a much more playful tone. "How do you know how to do a Bat-Bogey Hex!? They are supposed to be rather complex, on top of the fact that its recent discovery and you've been a muggle for the last 15 years…"

Harry promptly burst out in laughter and Ginny nervously grinned.

"What? Whats so funny? It's a logical question."

"Yes very logical." Harry laughed even harder. "Not only does your mother know it, but she was the bleeding witch who invented that infernal hex! It isn't that recent of a discovery, despite the rumours…"

"INVENTED!?" Lily yelled interrupting Harry.

"Oh yes, all of Hogwarts was scared of her becoming angry and casting it upon some poor individual when she went there. You wouldn't know just by looking at her, but Ginny Weasley was one of the most powerful witches out there for her age. She fought against Bellatrix Lestrange in the Battle of Hogwarts even."

Ginny blushed furiously, Lily gawked in astonishment, and Harry laughed some more before becoming more serious and spoke again quietly. "You know, Ginny, you could be that witch again."

"I know. It's just that… Well… I'm afraid to go back."

Harry sat looking thoughtfully at her for a few moments before he spoke again. "Listen, Ginny, I am going for a ritual family dinner at the Burrow on Sunday night. Why don't–"

"Oh no. I couldn't just turn up out of the blue like that! Not after fifteen years!"

"Let me finish!" Harry was both frustrated and amused at the same time. It seemed as if they were almost falling back into how things were before she left. "I didn't mean that you would just pop in and yell 'Surprise!' because that would be a sure-fire way to kill off some Weasleys. No. What I meant was that I could gently bring it up that I had seen you again and I could explain your situation and rationalizing a bit. Then, after your family has gotten over the idea of pummeling you to death for leaving them like that, I can send my Patronus over and THEN you can pop in and yell surprise."

Lily was about to fall off her chair from laughing and Ginny smiled at Harry knowing that he was deadly serious about his plan but she was grateful that he had told it in a way that made her less scared. He did always know how to make her feel better. After some thought and being on the receiving end of Lily's eager stare, Ginny agreed to go.

"Can I go too, mum?" Lily asked, desperately wanting to meet her newly discovered family, even thought she already knew most of her generation, just not as her cousins.

Harry answered instead of Ginny, though. Lily supposed this was partially fair since it did turn out that he was her father. "No, you shouldn't go yet. It is going to be a hard reunion for the whole family. Let them take it one step at a time."

"But I will get to meet them soon, right?"

Ginny was the one to respond this time, "Of course! As soon as I feel… up to it… I will bring you along. And don't worry, I will tell them all about you when I go."

Lily smiled realizing this was a fair deal. "Okay." She paused a bit and grinned, "Soooo, tell me about how you two met." At her parent's shocked and slightly embarrassed faces she added indignantly, "Hey! I have 15 years worth of stories to hear! Better to start sooner than later!"

They all chuckled at this and the rest of the evening was spend reminiscing, laughing, and even crying a few times on Ginny and Harry's end remembering life during the war. Lily had never felt so happy in her life. She finally knew what secrets her mother had been keeping from her all these years and she finally knew who her father was. On top of that, he ended up being her favorite professor; it was rather perfect when she thought about it. The talking continued until the grandfather clock in the hallway chimed midnight and Ginny declared it time for everyone to go to bed. Lily was shooed upstairs but she managed to see that Harry kissed Ginny lightly on the cheek before he apparated away causing her mother to blush.

* * *

A/N: Did I say that the last chapter was hard to write? Silly me. THIS chapter was ten times harder! I ended up giving up trying on Sunday and actually rewrote it a few times yesterday. I then started to write it out of order and that made it easier for some reason… And I can't find anywhere that said specifically how old the bat bogey hex was or who invented it, so I'm making it be Ginny for some humour. They always called it HER bat bogey hex anyway… Anyway, sorry for the delay and I hope it turned out alright… Enjoy! 


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Uh, Mum, don't you have your date in an hour?" Lily asked Ginny the following Saturday from the couch.

"Oh dammit you're right... I am not looking forward to this."

"Why not? I thought you really liked this guy, Dylan."

"Oh, I do. I do..." Ginny paused sadly as she thought about the situation she was now in. "It's just that with Harry reappearing I don't really think it would be fair to either of them to be dating Dylan."

"I guess... Now I'm sad that I'll never get to meet him!" Lily thought about how her mother had reacted every other time during these holidays when she had brought up her mother's boyfriend, and noticed that she wasn't doing it this time. "Why was it that you refused to talk about him before and now you will?"

Ginny smiled sheepishly at her daughter. "Er, well, I wasn't exactly going as myself."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"I was – am – using appearance charms to change how I look whenever I go on a date with him. And I couldn't introduce you to him without telling at least you that I was a witch."

Lily's jaw dropped as she heard this. "First of all, you've been USING magic the ENTIRE time you were dating him and I didn't know? Secondly, why in the name of Merlin have you been doing that?!"

"I dunno why I changed myself when I went on that first speed dating thing. I guess I was scared of someone recognizing me. I've basically been living my life as a very paranoid person for the last 15 years." Ginny purposefully ignored the first half of her question because she didn't want to admit that she had been using magic since Lily went off to Hogwarts.

"That's a terrible way to live. But at least it makes more sense..." Ginny could tell that Lily was thinking hard about how Ginny had been living since she was born.

Ginny sighed in relief as Lily didn't mention anything about using magic. "Ok... Well, I'm going to my room to get ready. I'll see you before I leave."

"Alright. I'm interested in how you make yourself look too." Lily quickly turned her attention back to her potions book where she was trying to write an essay as soon as possible just in case her life got a lot more busy with her unknown family.

Forty-five minutes later, Ginny walked back into the living room as her alternative version of Eliza.

"Oh my goodness! You look like my Professor Longbottom!" Lily screeched as soon she saw her mother.

"Yeah, well that is where I got the idea from... Although I tried to base the look more off Neville's mother... Except for the hair. That is all Hermione..." Ginny laughed and trailed off in thought. It was nice for her to be able to think about her friends again.

"His mother? I thought his parents died. And you know Professor Longbottom?"

"Did they die? Last I heard they were in St. Mungo's... Although that was 15 years ago..." Ginny was talking more to herself than to her daughter. "But that's not the point. I only saw her once and she didn't look very good then sadly...But I also saw her in an old Order photograph that Mad-Eye showed us one summer… And of course I know Neville! I told you that I was in the war and the DA and everything. In fact... it was my idea to call it Dumbledore's Army..." Ginny was trailing off in thought again but quickly shook herself out of it. "Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I knew Neville very well. He was a good friend and I even went to the Yule Ball with him in my third year. I was so proud of him during the war. He gained so much confidence in himself. Really proved to himself and everyone else that he truly belonged in Gryffindor."

"Wow... there is so much I need to learn about you! Like how you knew Mad-Eye Moody. This is just so weird Mum. I mean, I always knew you were hiding things about your past life obviously but I guess I never, EVER expected it to be like this."

"I know. I'm really very sorry Lily. I am going to try and make it up to you as much as I can. Especially after I have that terrifying dinner tomorrow at my old home..."

Lily nodded in understanding and went over to hug her mother that looked like her professor and some woman named Hermione.

"Alright, I had better get going. Don't want to leave Dylan waiting."

"Alright, bye Mum! Goodluck." Lily kissed Ginny goodbye and watched her walk out of the living room. Then, she suddenly realized that her mother had effectively evaded her question earlier!

"Wait! Mum!" Lily called out hoping she hadn't gone into the garage already.

A few seconds later, Ginny as Eliza poked her head back in. "Yeah Lily?"

"You never answered about how you have been magic since you've been dating Dylan." Lily asked with her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Er, I have actually been – er – using magic again since – since you left for Hogwarts..."

"WHAT!?"

"Lily, calm down! I'm sorry. I've hid a lot from you, I know so just, please."

Lily narrowed her eyes again and huffed "Fine" and Ginny breathed out in relief that the Weasley temper didn't come to its full height.

"Ok, let me explain from the beginning. It started a few weeks after you left for Hogwarts. I became depressed because I missed magic and you were going to learn about it. So I decided that just keeping up with the basics wouldn't be so bad. I even convinced myself that I was doing it all for your protection so I could be prepared in case the worst happened. But really I was just being selfish. I put a quick ward around the house so magic couldn't be detected here and the ministry wouldn't come snooping around and I went back into practicing magic. And then I couldn't stop. I was starting to really question why I even left in the first place. But then you came back that first Christmas telling me about the war and I remembered. I kept trying to figure out when I would tell you about me but I never could fully get myself to. I couldn't admit what I did to you." Ginny took a deep breathe after her long explanation and looked for a response from her daughter.

Lily ran to hug her mother and realized that they had seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Oh, Mum. I get it. I understand. I just wish all of this wasn't kept a secret from me."

"I know Lily. I'm sorry. And I have a feeling that there are going to be a lot more things you'll think of that I will have to tell you about as we figure everything out. And you deserve to know it all."

Lily grinned. "You're right. I do deserve to know it all. Now GO! You're going to be late to your break-up date."

"Ugh! Don't remind me… I really don't want to do this. Alright, I'm sure I'll be home fairly early." Ginny waved goodbye and she walked back out of the room.

"I'll be up waiting for you!" Lily called out after her mother.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Ginny as Eliza and Harry as Dylan were sitting next to each other in a small booth in a classy and modern bar. After about twenty minutes of small talk, they both fell into silence not knowing that they were having a lot of the same thoughts. One such thought was that they were going to have to break up with the other and they both didn't want to. In addition, both of them were glad that they had decided to go to this bar for their date because it was a much easier place to break up with someone, as opposed to a restaurant or a movie. Finally Harry broke the silence by saying the inevitable.

"Listen, Eliza, I need to talk about something rather important with you."

"Oh, I have something to say too. But you can go first."

Both of them were extremely nervous and awkward, but too nervous to notice that the other was as well.

"You know how my fiancée died?"

"Yes..."

"Well, I lied. She didn't die. She left and never contacted me again. It is just easier for other people to understand if I say she died, because she left my life as if she had died." Harry started out hesitantly. He didn't want to make it sound like he didn't trust Eliza, he just wanted to explain what had happened.

"Oh, I'm so sorry..." Ginny trailed off thinking how that was exactly what she had done to Harry. This made her feel even worse about having to break it off with Dylan.

"So, well, the problem is that – that she suddenly reappeared." Harry was so terrified to tell Eliza about this. He really didn't want to hurt her.

"Oh."

"Yeah. And I also – I just found out – er, well – turnsoutIhaveadaughter." After stumbling around with his words, Harry finally just said it very quickly.

Ginny choked on her drink when she heard this. "You... what?" It was starting to weird her out how similar things were getting with what Dylan was telling her and how things were going with Harry.

"I just found out a few days ago. She's fifteen." Harry felt the need to explain himself completely to Eliza. She deserved it.

"Fifteen?!" Ginny was starting to feel more and more that there was something else going on here with Dylan. Harry, on the other hand, couldn't understand why Eliza was acting so strange about all of this.

"Yeah, well, I don't know if you can understand what is going on in my life. It's just that – that – it is gonna be hard for me to be dating while I'm trying to figure things out with them." Harry looked at Eliza to see if she was getting upset or hurt from what he was saying, but she just sat there staring at him with a stunned, and maybe even confused, look. Harry took this as an okay to continue on.

"But what is so hard for me is that I don't want to have to choose between you, Eliza, and them. I want to be with you because I love you but –"

"You love me?!" Harry smiled at this. It seemed to him that Eliza had come out of her temporary shock to hear that but not that he was leading up to breaking up with her.

"Yes, I do." His smile quickly disappeared as concern took over on his face and said quietly, "Its just that, I still love Ginny too."

"Ginny?" Eliza breathed.

The two just looked at each other before the very last thing that Harry was expecting to happen happened.

* * *

When Ginny heard that Dylan loved her she was thinking many things at once: shocked that he was telling her like this, elated that he felt that way, but depressed that they couldn't stay together.

But then Dylan said her name. Her real name. She couldn't believe it. Dylan loved Eliza and Ginny. How was that possible? All she could do was look at him and thats when it finally hit her and she couldn't stop herself. She threw her arms around him and pulled him into a sudden kiss.

Dylan broke away quickly and looked at her like she was crazy, which, Ginny realized, he had good reason to as he obviously hadn't figured out what was going on. Ginny refused to let go of him, though, and kept her arms firmly around him. She knew that she should be trying to work out what exactly was going on but she just didn't care. Ginny decided to stop listening to her brain for a while.

"What – do you understand what I am saying, Eliza? I can't be dating you right now."

"Of course I understand what you're saying. Although, I think I understand more than you do." Ginny grinned at his confusion and worry.

"Huh? That –"

"You said you loved me."

"Yes, but –" Ginny quickly made him stop talking with another kiss. It was a quick one though and then she leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

"I love you too, Harry."

* * *

A/N: I know, it took me a little longer to update this time, but that is because I was slaving away in the kitchen all of yesterday to try and make a traditional Chanukkah meal for my friends yesterday! I have learned that I could never, ever be a housewive. And my friends learned that latkes (potato pancakes) are the best things in the world! So, if you can, I suggest trying them :) So Happy Chanukkah everyone!

But, as an added bonus for it taking so long to update, this chapter is extra long (not intentionally) so I split it into two. I've already written both chapters so I'll post it as soon as I can! Hope you enjoy it and please review!


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Harry was incredibly confused by how Eliza was acting. It wasn't that she was usually shy, she just didn't want to get hurt again. And here he was, hurting her, and she just kissed him a second time. Then he heard her. She said his real name.

Harry quickly untangled himself from her. "What? How – Who – my name – you –" He knew he was stuttering and not making any sort of sentence, but there was no way he could process any sort of coherent thought.

This woman who called herself Eliza was just grinning at him and he even thought he saw a sparkle in her eyes. Finally, she decided to say something.

"Come on, let's get out of here so we can talk." She pulled out some money and put it on their table and pulled Harry away before he could protest that he should be paying.

He felt her pull him away from the bar towards her car. Then the door opened and he was plopped into the front seat. Harry watched at she walked around to open her door and as she sat behind the wheel. He just felt so overwhelmed. He vaguely wondered if he should feel in danger since she obviously knew who he was. What if she was some sort of ex-Death Eater looking for revenge? Harry also vaguely knew that she wasn't. The way she had kissed him and grinned was like she had just realized he was Harry Potter. So who was she?

"Harry, have you figured it out?" He pulled himself out of his dazed bewilderment to try and respond. He looked at her first and saw that she looked excited but also very nervous.

"No." Harry said honestly and saw her face fell. "But who are you? I wondered for a moment if you were an old Death Eater or something but I know that's not it."

The woman laughed, "Well, I'm glad your Auror training came in useful for something, if only to tell you that I'm not going to kill you."

"You didn't answer me though. Who are you? I thought you were Eliza Finch but…" But Harry stopped talking. Finch. She was acting oddly when he said he had a 15 year old daughter and when he had said the name Ginny. He jerked his heard to look at the woman, his eyes narrowed. He saw her eager face that was laced with nervousness. Finally, Harry felt his eyes go wide with realization.

"Gi – Ginny?" He said her name the exact same way he said it only a few days previously. His life was starting to get rather crazy.

* * *

Ginny removed both her own and Harry's appearance charms and then there was silence as they sat there and looked at each other. Finally, Harry grinned and Ginny sighed in relief.

"How is this possible?" Harry asked in bewilderment.

"I don't really know." Ginny replied shaking her head. "Luck?"

"Wait, so let me get this straight. You are Ginny Weasley who was pretending to be Eliza Finch who was pretending to look like a cross between Neville and Hermione?"

Ginny laughed loudly and it surprised Harry at how she could find humour in this situation but as he thought about, it was so absurd that it just ended up being funny, and he began to chuckle as well.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. You're much simpler. You are Harry Potter pretending to be some made up person named Dylan Ward."

"Yes, but – Lily… She didn't know you were a witch until just a few days ago. Yet you have been changing your appearance for the past five months. She didn't know? What were you planning on doing if you ever wanted to introduce Dylan to her?"

"I only had to worry about using magic when she was home and not at Hogwarts, and then I would just change it in the car. It wasn't hard. I just felt awful. And, honestly, I didn't know what I was going to do. I was constantly fighting with myself because I couldn't introduce you until I told Lily that I was a witch and I was too afraid to do that. I was even planning on breaking up with you at one point just because I didn't know what to do. But I couldn't." A smirk crossed over Ginny's sad face before she added, "And thankfully I didn't because the night I was going to was when we saw 'Wicked' and then went back to my place." Ginny winked at him.

Harry grinned at her bluntness until another thought crossed his mind. "Your place… How come I didn't recognize it when I went there the other day?"

Ginny frowned in thought. "You know, I'm not sure. Well, I magically removed all of the pictures from the walls that had anything to do with me or Lily so you wouldn't wonder who all these strange people were in my photos. But other than that… I don't know." She smirked again. "I guess you were just thinking about other things than my house that night."

"You are very right." Harry chuckled. "I definitely did not see the outside of the house or anything as we drove up because I was too busy watching you. In fact, I really only saw the living room and your bedroom but I didn't pay much attention to them." Harry said smirking right back at her. "And then when I went there as myself, I only saw the hallway and kitchen. I didn't think anything of it."

"I am still just amazed at how we ended up dating after that speed dating night. I mean, of all the people there and all the nights to speed date, and all the speed dating organizations, we ended up together after that. What are the chances?" Ginny said breathless in amazement.

"One in a million?" Harry grinned and looked at Ginny. He really did love her. As Eliza, as Ginny, whatever.

"Harry?" Ginny suddenly felt much more self-conscious the her timid voice that came from her proved that.

"Yeah?"

"Did you really mean it?" Ginny found her steering wheel very interesting to look at while she said this.

"Mean what?"

"That you loved me. Both Eliza and Ginny? Because I meant it." Ginny looked back into Harry's eyes. "I still love you Harry. And – and I loved Dylan too."

Harry could see both the fear and the tears forming in Ginny's eyes and he pulled her across the seat into a hug. "Of course I meant it. I told you before you left that I would always love you. And then I fell in love with Eliza these past few months."

Ginny let out a small sob of joy into Harry's shoulder. "It's incredible, isn't it? That we got back together like this."

"Yeah it is. You know what I think this shows us?"

"What?"

Harry gently pulled Ginny off his shoulder. "That we were meant to be," he said softly.

Ginny's face spread into a large smile before Harry pulled her face towards his and they finally kissed again as Harry and Ginny. And it seemed, that if only for that moment, that life was perfect again.

They stayed there in the car for a long while. Just kissing and talking about anything, including their mind-blowing luck; neither of them could get over that. Harry also told Ginny how Lily had told him all about how happy her mum was dating some mysterious guy. They both laughed heartily at that story and ended up kissing deeply again. Unfortunately, a security guard of the car park noticed them just sitting there and snogging and he rapped on the window.

"Hey, you two! This car park is for customers of the bar only! Now move along!"

They grinned sheepishly at each other and Ginny started the car and drove away.

"Where are we going?"

Ginny shrugged. "Back to my house. Lily is waiting up for me to find out how my break-up went. I figured we could surprise her."

"Break-up?" Harry asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah. I mean, I was going to break up with Dylan for the same reasons that you were going to break up with Eliza. It would have been too hard to have two love interests and I put Lily's needs first so I had to push Dylan away instead of Harry. But trust me, it was a terrible feeling knowing that I had to do that…" Ginny gave a small smile, mostly to herself, before adding, "Well, at least that's what I thought."

Harry laughed again. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so much at things that weren't obvious jokes. It was something about being in Ginny's presence again where they were both completely comfortable with each other that just made everything seem better. "It was hard for me too. But I am so glad I ended up not having to choose. Alright, let's go give Lily the shock of her life."

Fifteen minutes later they ended up in the same garage they had been in as Eliza and Dylan. Ginny walked over to the door leading into the house before stopping and turning back to Harry.

"Wait in the hallway for a minute when we go in. I want to find where Lily is first, although I bet she is in the living room working on her homework still."

Harry nodded in agreement and followed her into the hall.

Ginny walked into the living room, and sure enough there was her daughter pouring over a book, this time it looked like transfiguration though.

At the sound of footsteps, Lily looked up. "Oh, there you are. I was expecting you home much sooner! So how did the break-up go?" She said sympathetically.

"It was surprising." Ginny replied truthfully.

"How was it sur –" Lily started to question but was quickly interrupted by the sound of something breaking and a man cursing in the hallway. She instantly stood up and looked harshly at her mother. "You brought Dylan back?"

Ginny nodded and started to open her mouth but Lily spoke again. "But you look like your normal self! What is going on?!"

"Stop being so accusatory! Come on, follow me." Lily could tell her mother was up to something because of the smile creeping up on her lips and followed nervously.

In the hallway, she saw the back of a dark-haired man repairing a broken picture frame with his wand and then replacing it on the wall. A soon as he heard the door to the living room close he turned around and said "Hiya Lily" causing Lily to gasp.

"Prof – I mean – Harry! What are you doing here?" She then turned to Ginny. "I thought you said you brought Dylan back."

"I did." Ginny replied simply while grinning.

"What?" Lily was thoroughly confused now.

Harry spoke up this time. "Turned out that both of us were hiding something."

"What?" Lily repeated herself.

Harry laughed. "Dylan Ward was hiding that he was really Harry Potter and Eliza Finch was hiding that she was really Ginny Weasley."

"And we both changed out appearances." Ginny added.

Lily couldn't speak for a few seconds. "Really? That happened? No one is pulling a prank on me or anything? You two were just THAT lucky?" Lily was obviously skeptical of their whole explanation. They seemed much to relaxed about this entire thing.

"Really! That's what we keep saying too, how we ended up so lucky! Amazing isn't it?" Ginny breathed clearly dying with happiness.

Lily turned to look at Harry who was grinning shyly and looked back at her mother. Lily suddenly squealed in joy and threw her arms around Ginny.

"This is perfect! I knew that Mum really liked Dylan but I could also see you two making eyes at each other all through our conversations the other day… It is just perfect!"

Lily suddenly broke off from her mother and stepped back to look at both of them. They were both blushing lightly because of Lily's comments. "So, this means that you guys are dating properly again, right?" They rapidly went from blushing lightly to turning crimson, especially Ginny. Both Harry and Ginny, though, looked at each other and grinned.

"Yeah, I guess it does mean that." Harry told her.

* * *

A/N: So this is the second part of the previous chapter and I really hope it worked out well! I was pretty scared while writing this that it would turn out totally cheesy or lame. But I think it did anyway. Ick. Let me know what you think… Next up: the family dinner at the Burrow! 


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Harry met Ginny and Lily that Sunday before he was going to the Burrow so he could discuss with them how the dinner was to go.

"I figured I would break the news before dinner since I'm betting you're missing your mother's cooking." Harry told Ginny with a sly smile.

"Well, I'm not such a bad cook myself running a restaurant and everything, but, yeah, I've really missed those Weasley dinners with everyone talking over each other and yelling and laughing." Ginny reminisced.

Harry smiled at her. "Okay. So I am going to shock them all and then explain the basics. Like, you felt guilty, you were afraid to come back, I saved you like the hero I am, things like that!" He ended in a smirk.

"Har har har." Ginny gave him a look that Molly Weasley would be proud of while Lily laughed loudly. "But you're not going to say anything about Lily, right?"

"No, it is your place to tell them that."

Lily piped up here, "So how are you going to say you found Mum if you don't mention me?"

"Hmmm good point. What do you think sounds better? A muggle market or a friend of a friend of a friend type thing?" Harry questioned Lily.

She pondered this for a moment before responding. "First of all, do you normally go into muggle markets? And then, do you have friends who would lead you into the muggle world?"

Harry laughed at this. "Are you sure you're not Hermione's daughter?"

"Who?"

"An old friend," Ginny replied before chastising Harry jokingly. "Are you implying that I'm not smart?"

Harry stuttered a bit before Lily relieved him. "Oh! Do you mean Hermione Granger? One of the famous trio that helped stop Voldemort?!"

"Yup. One in the same. Although now she is Hermione Granger-Weasley and technically she is your aunt." Harry informed her. Lily looked amazed at everything she was hearing and obviously couldn't wait until she could meet her family. Ginny, on the other hand, just looked sad.

"I wish I could have been there for her and Ron's wedding." Ginny said quietly.

"I know they wished that too." Harry responded as gently as he could.

"I let them down."

Harry didn't bother to deny it. "You'll make it up to them now. You know they would rather have you back than if you stayed missing."

Ginny smiled gratefully at him. "Okay. Back to business. Why don't you just say the friend of a friend thing using whatever friend had you go the muggle speed dating where you met Eliza? Without mentioning that you met her, of course."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." He paused for a few seconds. "What are your thoughts on telling them about you and me? No one knows about Eliza and me except for Neville so my love life probably won't be brought up."

"Well, I think…" Ginny started slowly. "I think that we should wait a while to say anything. Too much at once may not be a good idea."

Harry let out a breath in relief. "Good, that was what I was thinking too but I didn't want to upset you or anything. Discussing Dylan and, er, the other Eliza might just put them over the edge."

Lily decided to speak up again, "Plus, this way you guys can get a feel for how they might react for the whole situation and decide how you will tell them and when."

Both Harry and Ginny smiled at their daughter simultaneously unknowingly to each other. Lily, on the other hand, saw their smiles and smiled back with high hopes.

Finally, everything seemed to be discussed about dinner and the topic strayed other things, such as Lily's extra defense class which was how everything was able to happen in the first place.

"So, Mum, can I do it? I mean, yeah, it will be dangerous but Harry will be teaching it so you know it will be ok!" Lily practically begged.

Ginny turned to the professor. "What exactly are you planning on teaching her, Harry?"

"There will be some mostly harmless things like Occlumency and fighting the Imperious Curse but –"

"Wait, hold on. First of all, YOU are planning to teach Occlumency? Last I remember you couldn't do it to save your life. Literally. And secondly, you are going to put the Imperious Curse on MY daughter?"

Harry actually laughed at Ginny's comments, "Of course I won't be the one to teach Occlumency! I still can't do it. Don't think I ever will be able to. But Neville has actually been quiet efficient in it so I was planning on begging him to teach her. And as for the Imperious Curse, yes I was planning on putting it on Lily. But it is a highly useful skill to fight it, as I am sure you remember. And that is why I am asking permission and I have also asked Minister Shacklebot and gone through all the proper channels. It is not like I will be having her do anything outrageous. You seem to forget that I cared a great deal about Lily even BEFORE I found out she was my daughter."

Ginny had nothing much to say back to him since she knew he was right and she remembered quiet vividly having to fight off the Imperious Curse from the Carrows. So she tried for the humour approach instead. "Kingsley is still Minister? I take it he is doing a good job then… that's good." Than she added grumbling slightly, "So what are the other things you are planning to teach her if these are the so-called harmless parts?"

"Well, past things like that, I am not planning to teach her how to do anything else." Both Lily and Ginny opened their mouths to respond. "Wait let me finish. What the rest of the classes would include would be obtaining the knowledge of the Dark Arts. Such as horcruxes."

Ginny sat their stunned for a moment while Lily was confused since she had no idea what a horcrux was and it was slightly unnerving that her mother knew things about magic that she didn't when a week before Lily was convinced her mother was a muggle. Neither of them said anything so Harry continued. "It is important that this knowledge be passed down to people who are capable to defend against Dark Wizards if need be, but most importantly, people who can be trusted with it. Lily will not be the only person who I will tell this information to in my lifetime, I hope, so she will not be alone in this burden as I was with Ron and Hermione. But she is the first. To properly defend yourself, you need to know what you are up against. And from the time I have spent with Lily, I believe that she is capable for knowing these things." Harry took a deep breath after his speech.

Ginny looked through narrowed eyes at Harry before turning to look at Lily a little more softly. "Lily, before I give my permission, I want to make sure you know what you are doing. You heard what Harry said about how these will be very important but dangerous things that you will be learning about. If you are uncomfortable in any way, whether from the pressure of knowing about it or the strangeness of the things you will be learning about, you should not do it."

"And, of course, you can stop at any time you want as well." Harry told Lily in addition to explaining the regulations further to Ginny, "There will also be regular checks to see how Lily is handling all of this information from outside people that can be trusted, such as Kingsley or Neville."

Ginny nodded. "So, what are you thinking Lily?"

"I have had a lot of time to think about this, Mum. And I want to. I mean, it might be a terrible responsibility but someone has to do it. And, I know there will be some freaky parts of magic that I will learn about, but that's why it is called the Dark Arts. I will be careful." Lily said in a confident voice.

Ginny smiled. "You are really are a Gryffindor."

"Of course she is! She takes after me!" Harry stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Ginny and Lily laughed at his announcement since it was never really an option before that Lily took after her father. At that moment, Lily felt more complete. She knew who she was.

By the time five o'clock came around, it was time for Harry to apparate to the Burrow leaving mother and daughter alone while Ginny waited for the silver stag to appear.

"Lily?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you – are you okay with how everything is going? I mean, like with Harry and with my family. Is it going too fast? Are you nervous? It's okay if you're mad at me too, Merlin knows I deserve it. Do you want –" But Lily didn't let her mother finish her anxious ramblings.

"You're saying 'Merlin' again!" Lily grinned.

Ginny, on the other hand, sighed exasperated. "Lily, I'm serious. I just want to make sure that everything goes alright. You have no idea how scared I am right now. What if they don't want me back? What if after you see my family, you decide that I have hidden too much from you? There are just so many 'what if's' right now…"

"I know Mum. I was just trying to get you to lighten up. I am fine with how everything is going. I mean, sure, I am nervous but more than that, I am excited! I finally got to know who my father is and it turned out to be someone great and not some creepy murderer and you in the witness protection program like I used to think. And, if your family is anything like you and Harry say then they will surely welcome you back, and me. Plus, I already know a lot of the Weasley kids at Hogwarts so its not like I walking into a completely unfamiliar setting."

"I know. I know. That doesn't mean I can't be irrational and be scared anyway." Ginny smirked at her daughter.

Just as Lily opened her mouth to talk again, a silvery form burst into the living room and pushed all thoughts from her mind.

Harry's voice rang through the living room from the stag. "Alright Ginny, they are anxiously waiting for you. And don't worry, they promised to be good!"

* * *

It was five o'clock and Harry had just apparated in front of the Burrow. Long gone were the days where he felt the need to knock on the door but he still didn't feel quiet comfortable in apparating directly into the house. Today, he especially felt nervous. For some reason unknown to himself, he had offered to be the messenger for Ginny and, in this case, the Weasleys may accidentally kill the messenger. 

Walking into the entry way, he could easily tell that the entire family was crammed into the kitchen. And a few seconds later, what he saw confirmed that. The kitchen and its table had been charmed many years ago to expand or shrink on its own as more people entered or left the room. Today, it was as large as Harry had ever seen it with children running around the place, Molly, Fleur, and Hermione were bustling away in the kitchen and getting their male counterparts to chop up ingredients for them. Percy was the one to notice Harry first.

"Hey there Harry," he said looking up at him. A few people turned their heads in greeting but most of the Weasleys didn't even hear Percy over all the commotion.

Charlie was one of the few who did see him, though. "Are you alright there Harry? You look a bit peaky."

Harry knew he was incredibly nervous but being back at the Burrow around his family helped to ease him. "Yeah, I'm better now. Thanks Charlie." He said giving him a smile.

Charlie and Percy both turned back to what they were doing before and Harry walked over to where Ron was chopping carrots offering to help. After about ten minutes of prep work, they were just about ready to have the entire family sit around the table. Harry knew that it was now or never, so he cleared his throat nervously.

* * *

A/N: Kinda short, I know… but THAT'S because there is another chapter right after this! Woohoo! I once again had to split up a super long chapter that I thought would only be one. Oh well. And I am so very very very very sorry for the delay! I have many excuses such as finals, going home for the holidays, writer's block, etc. But I (and any readers) have my darling little sister, aka LupinTonksLove, to thank for getting my butt in gear and making me finish these two chapters. Again, let me know what you think! Ideas? Criticisms? Etc etc etc. 


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Alright, well, before we start dinner, I have something important I would like to discuss with the adults. So if you kids don't mind…" Harry looked around at some of the frustrated faces, especially on Fred who, at the age of 15, thought that he should be privy to all inside information. "And don't worry, you'll be allowed back in and we'll let you know what we've been talking about then."

Fred seemed to be grudgingly accept this and got up and left the kitchen with the other children following his lead. Teddy and Victoire didn't seem to have any inclination to leave though. Harry chuckled at them, "Sorry guys, just because you are legally of age doesn't mean that you are adults in the family. You'll find out soon enough." Victoire thankfully accepted this as she seemed to inherit Bill's easy going nature. Teddy, on the other hand, scowled like Tonks used to at his godfather before Victoire dragged him from the room.

Finally, it was just the Weasley children in his generation and their wives. And, of course, Molly and Arthur. They were all looking at him as he sat in a chair trying to find his words.

"Alright, spit it out!" George laughed at Harry's uneasiness.

Harry took a deep breath and looked at the table. "I found Ginny."

Silence.

Staring.

More silence and staring.

"Pardon?" Arthur finally said breaking the awkwardness.

Harry looked up at the family and repeated himself louder, but this time looking in the Weasley's faces. "I found her. Ginny."

All at once noise erupted from almost everyone in the room, except for perhaps Percy's wife who didn't get to know Ginny well before she disappeared. Molly seemed to be saying something about how her daughter was finally found and how she knew she was safe. Arthur was trying to ask how Ginny was and where she was at the same time and failing to get anything out properly. All of the Weasley sons were trying to yell at Harry and shake him and get it out of him why he didn't tell them including various physical threats. Both Hermione and Fleur seemed to be shrieking about how this could have happened.

Tired of all of this craziness, Harry whipped out his wand and cast silencing charms on everyone in the room, except for himself.

"LISTEN TO ME! Don't you want to hear more than that I found her?"

Everyone looked rather ashamed of themselves and silently nodded. Harry took off the charm.

"Ok, so why don't you tell us then?" Ron demanded.

"It was completely random. I saw her a few days ago through a friend of a friend of a friend type thing with that old Auror who likes to venture off into the muggle world." Harry told them using almost the same words they had decided on earlier. "I've talked with her a lot in the few days since I saw her. She is perfectly fine, although she missed all of you of course, and she has actually been living as a muggle in the outskirts of London this entire time."

"Why did she leave? Why didn't she come back?" Bill questioned wisely.

Harry took another deep breathe and looked guiltily at all of the men, especially George. "You know how all of you guys were giving her a hard time about her – er – _being_ with me?" They nodded looking confused. "Well, it turns out she thought it was about something completely different. She, well – she felt guilty about Fred's death." Harry ended awkwardly.

George blanched. "You mean, when I was glaring at her about YOU, she thought I was blaming her about Fred!?" He said incredulously. "Oh Merlin! I never, ever meant for that to happen!"

"Does she know that we don't blame what-so-ever?" Charlie asked almost timidly.

"Yeah, I laughed pretty hard when I heard it was all because of the mean looks." Harry reassured him.

"I guess it is kind of ironic when you think about it," Percy stated. "I mean, here we were trying to protect her and she thinks we are attacking her."

"Man do I feel terrible." Bill said looking at his water glass. Pretty much all the males mumbled their agreement.

Finally Hermione spoke up, "How is she? Is she doing alright? Like, with a job and everything?"

Harry nodded. "She runs a restaurant and plays football for a women's league. I guess her team always does well because of her fearlessness. Ginny was laughing when she told me that because, to her, it's a piece of cake compared to quidditch."

"She always was a tough one." George said proudly.

"Don't say it like she's dead George! Harry has seen her so that means we will get to see her soon!" Ron said while giving Harry a nervous glance. After that, everybody seemed to get quiet.

Finally Molly spoke for the first time since Harry activated the silencing charm and her voice was both anxious and excited at the same time. "Harry dear, did Ginny say when she will be coming back?"

The noise in the room went from quiet to an eerie silence as it seemed that everyone was holding their breath to hear what Harry was going to respond with. He smiled at them "She can come as soon as you guys are all ready for her."

"Ready for her?" Hermione squealed.

"Of course we are ready for her Harry. Please send her over." Arthur said calmly.

"Alright. I just want to make sure that no one will attack her or anything. She is pretty scared at how you will react to her disappearing."

"Well, of course we are upset about it. But that doesn't mean we don't want to see her or that we don't love her!" Ron said indignantly.

"Yeah, I promise to be good." George added and everyone else nodded in agreement.

Harry grinned and sent over his patronus.

* * *

After only a moments hesitation, Ginny apparated into the Burrow. Standing in the doorway to the kitchen, she could see her entire family around the table all looking at Harry who stood the farthest from her across the room. He quickly noticed Ginny and grinned at her. She tried to smile back but failed as fear overcame her for the entire room fell deathly quiet. Every head turned t look at her, mostly with faces of shock. 

It seemed like eternity had passed to Ginny in utter silence. Finally Bill, who was closest to her, stood and smiled. She smiled weakly back nervously making eye contact with him. The next thing she knew, she was engulfed in a hug.

Ginny heard Bill whisper in her ear, "I'm glad you're back Gin. We've missed you."

Tears of happiness mixed with regret rebelliously fell from her eyes. Soon, she was hugging and crying with everyone in the room, save Harry who just stood in a corner grinning from ear to ear.

Harry was quite proud of Ginny. During the small gap of time from when he sent the patronus and when he saw Ginny in the doorway, he was afraid that she would go back into hiding. But she was a Gryffindor, even if she forgot for a while.

He watched as she was passed from person to person: Bill was first. George apologized over and over again to her while she shook her head into his chest telling him that she should have talked to him. Percy said nothing but hugged her fiercly while he wife stood next to them with a head comfortingly on Ginny's shoulder. Katie, George's wife, hugged her next and Ginny cried even harder. Of course, only she and Harry knew why: Katie was pregnant when Ginny left and their children would be about the same age. Next, Charlie grabbed her and even ruffled her hair like he did when she was little. Fleur managed to hug Ginny next telling her what a beautiful woman she had become.

Finally, only four people remained: her parents, Ron, and Hermione. The latter two reached her Ginny first hugging her at the same time. Ron kept repeating how much he missed her over and over again while Hermione and Ginny both sobbed uncontrollably, unable to get any words out. When Ginny was released, she turned to look at her parents with tears silently falling down all of their cheeks. In the quickest movement seen all evening, the three were suddenly together. Arthur was running his hand down her head and back like he used to soothe her as a child. Molly, on the other hand just hugged her fiercer than she had ever hugged anyone before sobbing that her baby girl had finally returned home.

When the hugging and crying stage of the reunion was over, everyone took their seats again around the table with Ginny placed in between her mother and father. But before she sat down, she went over to whisper "Thank you Harry" in his ear.

Back around the table, silence fell again. Ginny felt everyone stare at her as she mostly looked at her hands in her lap.

"Er, well, how have you been Ginny?" Hermione asked, finally breaking the lack of noise.

Ginny paused to think of the answer to the question. "I've surprisingly made it pretty well so far. I have a house, a job, a few friends. It's lonely, but I've been okay."

Charlie spoke next, "Harry said you've been living as a muggle?"

"Yeah." She replied slightly ashamed. "My name is, or was, Eliza Finch. I drive a car, I'm a chef, I play football. Things like that."

"Without_ any_ magic?" Ron asked amazed.

Ginny smiled at him. Some things never change. "For the first ten years, I didn't once touch my wand. But for the last four and a half years, I have been getting back into it."

Both Percy and Hermione asked a question at the same time: "How did the ministry not find you?" came from her brother while the other said "Why did you suddenly start up again?"

Ginny answered Percy's question first because Hermione's would end with Lily. "The first thing I did was cast a ward that would prevent magic from being detected. They probably thought that one bit of magic was a fluke." She shrugged but made eye contact with Hermione and instantly knew what was coming.

"But that doesn't explain why you started up again" Hermione said slyly.

Ginny saw Harry tense in preparation for her response. She sighed knowing that she could no longer delay the inevitable and she did, in fact, _want_ to tell them about her amazing daughter.

Ginny spoke quietly but with everyone else being silent, they could still easily hear her. "Because four and a half years ago was when my daughter Lily started at Hogwarts."

There was a collective gasp around the table and Ginny felt her mother's hand reach over and grab her own.

"That was how Harry actually found me. He came to talk to Lily's mother about extra Defense classes for her. She's amazing." Ginny continued without looking anyone in the eye again.

There was some more silence until Molly spoke, "Why don't you tell us about her, dear. How old is she? What does she look like? Who – who is her father?"

Ginny took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Upon opening, she glanced at Harry who smiled gently at her, supporting her. "Lily is fifteen, in her fifth year at Hogwarts, of course. She has the Weasley hair. She is tall and skinny like Ron, although not quiet as gangly, so kind of like Bill. She also has a strange combination of being mischievous like George and – and Fred while also being studious like Percy. And she has a soft spot for anything dangerous like Charlie. You can tell I've thought about this a lot." She chuckled before adding the last detail. "Also, her eyes are a brilliant green."

Both Arthur and Hermione gasped at the last word while everyone else looked at them confused.

"She is fifteen years old… Lily…" Arthur said slowly.

Ginny nodded to confirm his suspicions. And, to her surprise, Hermione leapt up and swung her arms around Lily's father.

"Oh Harry!" She cried out. "Did you know?"

"Um, I found out when I found Ginny," he said uncertainly.

"Wait a minute…" This came from Ron. "You mean that Harry is the father of Lily?" A look of realization crossed his face when he said the name Lily. "Oh…"

Everyone else at the table now had their mouths open and eyes wide. Ginny felt tears coming down from her eyes again. The last time she had cried so much was when she found out she was pregnant and Harry wasn't there because she left.

"I didn't know I was pregnant when I left. And by the time I found out I felt like it was too late. And I was scared of what I was doing but I was also scared to come back. I was trapped. Lily was raised without a family. She didn't even know that I am a witch until Harry came. I'm an awful person… I'm an awful mother!" Ginny started sobbing uncontrollably with her head in her hands.

No one knew what to say. The table sat in absolute awkwardness until Harry stood up and walked over to where Ginny was sitting. Turning her gently, he squatted in front of her taking her hands away from her face.

"Ginny, listen to me, I've seen the two of you together, but more importantly, I have known Lily for the past four and a half years at Hogwarts not knowing anything about her parents. She is an amazing girl, Ginny. Lily obviously loves you and you clearly love her. She was well taken care of and you taught her well about life and what is right or wrong. I already told you she is my favorite student and I decided that a few years ago! You have nothing to worry about with her and your mothering abilities."

When Harry stopped his lecture, Ginny was just staring at him. Harry let go of her hands, regretting the loss of contact the moment he did. He stood up to return to his seat and suddenly Ginny flung herself up to Harry and hugged him tightly. She looked directly into his eyes and thanked him again. This time, though, she kissed him full on the mouth, both not caring that they agreed to keep things a secret for now, and then returned to the hug, her face pressed against his chest and his arms wrapped protectively around her.

Arthur gently coughed and they released each other. "So when can we meet this amazing Lily?" He asked his daughter smiling.

Ginny grinned back. "As soon as possible!"

"How about Christmas? That is in a few days," George suggested.

"Sounds absolutely perfect," Ginny agreed.

"Alright," Harry said in a business-like voice. "Why don't I get the kids back in here so we can all eat and introduce Ginny to the many additions to her family?" And with that, he left the room.

Ron then quickly turned to Ginny. "Are you two back together _already_!? That was awfully quick." He said half accusingly and half amused.

Ginny smiled embarrassedly in response. "That is a long story for another time."

Just as Charlie was about to make a comment about that, he was interrupted by over a dozen children walking noisily into the room, ranging from the ages of 19 to 7, all of which were curiously looking at Ginny.

* * *

A/N: Here is part 2. I'm not 100 percent sure how I like that "lecture" of Harry's. I was trying to show that he thought she was amazing and was raised well before he found out she was his and Ginny's daughter without it sounding so cliché… but oh well. I hope you enjoyed it and I really hope I write the next chapter soon. And that will be the Christmas reunion. And notice how the young Fred is 15 years old also? Teehee. I was so NOT planning on having Ginny and Harry kiss but the story kind of has a mind of its own! And at the high risk of being repetitive, let me know what you thought… 


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: I am sooo very sorry for how long this has taken me! I finally just had to force myself to write this. I had decided that 6 months was long enough to get over a writer's block! Hope you enjoy it…

* * *

Chapter 10

Lily and Ginny were going to open up present and have a quiet Christmas morning at their home until Harry came and then they would floo to the Burrow for Christmas lunch. Lily could no longer wait, it was seven in the morning and she was too excited for her own good. So, she ran into her mother's room to wake her up like a five-year-old instead of the fifteen-year-old she was.

Lily jumped on the bed and began yelling, "Wake up! Come on Mum, wake up!"

The lump on the bed that Lily assumed was her mother turned out to be two lumps and a male voice came from the bed moaning "Lily… what time is it?"

Lily immediate stopped jumping. "Harry! I didn't – didn't know you were here…" she said awkwardly.

Ginny pulled down the blanket and started to roll out of bed noticing the relief on her daughter's face that they were both fully clothed. "Harry and I stayed up late talking last night so we figured this would just be easier than him coming back again this morning anyway." She paused for a moment before her voice was filled with concern. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No! No. It just surprised me, that's all." Lily then added quietly with her head down, "I like seeing you guys together."

Harry and Ginny both grinned until Lily broke the silence. "What are we waiting for!? There are presents to be opened!"

The daughter then dashed out of the room and down the stairs while her parents laughed, both thinking that she was definitely a Weasley. Right as they made to open the door, Harry held Ginny back.

"Do you really think this is okay for her? I mean, this is all very sudden for me I know. And she wasn't there to see us before and it is kinda weird how we restarted as Dylan and Eliza and … I don't know. I just want anything to be weird. "Harry trailed off timidly.

"Harry, I'm afraid of the same thing but you also don't know our daughter as well. Not that that is your fault…" Ginny quickly added. "But you heard her. She likes this new change. I think it just going to get some getting used to. For all of us.

Harry stood there with his brows furrowed in concentration until he suddenly broke out into a large smile. "Merlin, how I love you. Still, after all this time…"

Ginny smiled and leaned forward for a quick kiss. "I love you too. Amazing isn't it?" Another kiss. "Okay, Lily has probably already gotten into the gifts. Let's go."

* * *

A few hours later, they were standing in front of the fireplace that had been connected to the floo network just a few days ago clutching into bags of gifts for the extensive Weasley family.

Just as Ginny was grabbing the floo powder she turned back around to face Harry with a huge grin on her face.

"Thank you so much… again. I cannot say thank you enough!"

Harry laughed. "If all I have to do to make you happy is buy a broomstick, things are going to be way too easy! Are you bringing it to the burrow?"

Ginny looked scandalized. "Of course I'm bringing it! I haven't ridden a broom in fifteen years and now I get a brand new one and you ask me if I'm bring it. Honestly." Ginny shook her head as if disappointed with him before throwing the powder into the fire, yelling "The Burrow!" and flashing a grin at Harry before she disappeared.

Lily was supposed to go next but she suddenly felt incredibly scared. She was meeting _her_ family for the first time! True, she had already met many of her new cousins at school and it turned out she had even been introduced to a few of her aunts and uncles before too. But none of that mattered because now they were being introduced as her family. And that just terrified her.

A sudden though crossed Lily's mind that made her freeze in shock in addition to terror. One of her best friends at school was Fred Weasley! Now they had to be cousins in addition to best friends! How was that going to work? But it did make more sense as to why so many people thought they were twins at first...

Harry had watched Lily hesitate in front of the fire and then stiffen up for a reason unknown to him. He felt a sudden pang of worry that he had never felt at that strength before. He figure that was because this was the first time he had worried about Lily since he knew she was his daughter.

Harry reached out and touched her arm.

"Lily, are you aright?" he asked quietly.

When she replied it was so quiet that Harry barely caught it. "I'm going to meet my family. I didn't even know I HAD a family until you came!" She turned to face him. "And Fred is my cousin! It is just so weird." She was glad that Harry was also her Professor Potter so he know how good of friends they were, often ending up in detention together.

"I know Lily. It is probably going to be hard at first. Are you nervous or are you scared too?" When she nodded her head and looked into his eyes, Harry felt that pang of worry even more so and he pulled Lily into a protective hug.

"The Weasleys are an amazing family Lily. The summer I turned 12, I spent my first time with that family as a friend of your Uncle Ron's. I was immediately accepted and have been a part of the family ever since. The Burrow and Hogwarts have been my only real homes." Harry paused while pulling away from Lily to look back at her. He chucked and then added, "And I wasn't even related to them! Imagine how great it will be for you! Plus, I think the fact that you and Fred are cousins is not only completely understandable, but it is going to make things even better for your friendship. And harder for Neville at Hogwarts!"

Lily laughed at the idea of her Head of House having to deal with the pair of them causing even more trouble than before. She felt much better: nervous but no longer scared. It felt great to be hugged and comforted by her father; it was something she had longed for ever since she was little.

Like her mother, Harry watched Lily grab the floo powder before turning around to face Harry again. "And really, thank you for the necklace. It really means… it's very special that… I guess, just… thank you." Lily tried to put as much feeling into her 'thank you' as she could because of her lack of eloquence.

And Harry felt it. In fact, he couldn't stop the tears that came to his eyes, something that hadn't happened in a long time. "I'm glad that you are the person to carry my mother's name. I can't think of anyone better. Plus, I heard my father gave that necklace to match her eyes, so it is perfect for you too."

They smiled at each other in silence sharing their first real "father-daughter moment" before Lily and then Harry traveled to the Burrow.

* * *

When someone asked Lily afterwards what had happened at tat first trip to the Burrow, she simply responded with something along the lines of "I'm not sure. But it felt amazing." That entire Christmas day was a gigantic blur of hugs (especially from her long-lost grandmother), amazing food, but most importantly, laughter.

At first Lily found herself following her mother around timidly as she was introduced to people that she would soon have to be reminded who they were later. There were so many little kids as well! Some she recognized from school, but there were quite a few who were younger than eleven and it was pretty overwhelming growing up as an only child. She remembered getting a hug from her Head Girl, Victoire, and then she looked up at the movement from the staircase.

"Lily!" A voice yelled through the first floor of the Burrow as a young red-headed male rushed towards her.

Lily quickly released Victoire to run towards her best friend. "Fred! It is so weird! I mean, I knew you're a Weasley, but… I dunno…"

He grinned mischievously at her, "You are too, you know."

"Actually, I am a Potter." Lily replied smugly.

Laughter broke out through the living room and from then on, Lily found herself much more comfortable around her new, and extraordinarily large, family.

It ended up being her best Christmas ever, aided by her grandmother's cooking – which may have even been better than her mum's!

* * *

As her family ate dinner around the once again extended table, Ginny finally felt a sense of peace. Her two lives had come together finally.

The sound of giggling came from the other end of the table. It looked like Lily and Fred were helping their younger cousin Lucy discretely prank people at dinner. It also looked like Charlie, Teddy, and George were passing along tips to them. As a result, George was getting a lot of glares from Angelina about this and all five were getting them from Percy who didn't like his daughter being corrupted by pranksters.

Ginny felt a light squeeze on her leg and tuned towards the hand's owner.

"How are you doing?" A concerned looking Harry whispered to her.

All Ginny could do in response was smile widely and Harry smiled in return.

Her father and Ron quickly ended their moment of bliss and any further observations of the table, though, with questions about her football league.

Ginny thought that this could be her favorite Christmas dinner from her life.

* * *

After midnight, the Weasley family Christmas party finally died down. Harry slugged up the familiar staircase to Ron's old bedroom where Fred and Lily were scheming something for when they got back to Hogwarts. Harry had decided earlier that he didn't want to know anything about it.

He opened the door expecting two guilty faces to be staring back, but was greeted with only one. Fred looked up from his parchment and then pointed to the bed where Harry saw Lily curled up fast asleep.

He gently lifted her up as she moved towards his body warmth mumbling something about Moaning Myrtle's toilet. Again, Harry decided it was better not to know.

Opting to floo Ginny later, he apparated Lily back to her own room and gently laid her in bed, tucking the cover around her shoulders. She opened her eyes sleepily and smiled up at Harry.

"Thanks Dad" she mumbled before rolling onto her side and falling back asleep.

Silently, Harry backed out of the room grinning from ear to ear. He had just received the most amazing Christmas present anyone could have given him.

* * *

A/N: Again, I am incredibly sorry for taking this long in addition to disappointed in myself. My life basically got dumped upside down and my mind refused to work the same way. Anyway, I am not 100 happy with this chapter (who ever is?) but I definitely don't think it as good as my previous chapters, but I really want to finish it. I still love this story. I am going to do my best to get the next chapter out within a week. Hope you enjoyed the new chapter and it looks like there will be 3 more chapters in this story. As always, I'd love to hear any comments and constructive criticism! Thanks my lovely readers!


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: Yeah, I know, its been more than a week. Sorry! Also, I changed George's wife in this chapter to Katie because that is what I said earlier... Sorry to those to read it as Angelina before! k thanks!

* * *

Chapter 11

Back to school already. It was different this time for Lily. Normally, there was the excitement of getting back to the magical world and the dread of leaving her mother behind alone. But now, it was the dread of leaving her magical family after just becoming acquainted with them and the excitement of new lessons and spending time with her father.

Lily's family had decided that they would all keep her new-found identity and her mother's reappearance under wraps for now. The last thing they needed was the media getting involved when Lily had enough on her plate with advanced lessons, and Harry and Ginny were still "reconnecting." They all knew it would have to come out someday soon, but they wanted to be as ready as possible for it.

So, to the rest of the school, Lily Finch was simply another girl returning from home after Christmas break. Only the Weasleys, Professors Potter and Longbottom, and Headmaster Flitwick knew the true story of her life-changing vacation.

Now, dear readers, we find our heroine running through the halls at Hogwarts. It was only less than two weeks after her separate Defense lessons had be reinstated, and Lily already had the bad habit of cutting it close or being late for her lessons.

She skidded into her father's office two minutes late today panting, "Sorry I'm late D--"

Lily suddenly stopped, noticing a seventh-year Ravenclaw student staring at her because of the crashing noises that came from Professor Potter's door.

"Er – Sorry I'm late for Defense Professor and – er – sorry for interrupting." She stuttered, emphasizing the 'D'.

"That's alright Miss Finch. Please sit down so I can finish my conversation with Mr. Banks here," Harry scolded but Lily could tell that inside he was laughing at the spectacle she had made.

Lily sat down and zoned out as the other two continued to talk about different types of advanced tracking spells. Finally, after ten minutes of boredom, she heard the door click shut and she turned to look at Harry.

"Lily, you know if you want to keep our relationship a secret for now, you are going to have to be more careful." Harry said softly to his daughter.

"I know… I just get all caught up in my own world or something. Really, I'm just excited to be able to spend time with you not as professor and student… Sorry."

Harry could feel his heart melting. It seemed as if every moment he spend with Lily-his-daughter instead of Lily-his-student made his insides move differently. He truly never imagined that having a child could feel this wonderful.

So, all he could do was grin down at her. "It's alright. I understand completely. So, what do you want to do today? Lessons or bonding time?" The two of them had been spending almost every evening together for one of the two previous reasons, and sometimes a Weasley (usually Fred) joined them as well.

"Well, if I had known that I had the option of not having lessons, I wouldn't have worried so much about being on time!" Lily responded petulantly. "Bonding time is so much less stressful!"

"So does that mean no lessons today?"

"No! I got myself all prepared to think and learn! So that is what we are doing." She said smugly before adding, "And really, with the Defense lessons we are basically killing tow birds with one stone since we are spending time together anyway. We just learn different things about each other."

"Wisely spoken. Alright then, we'll be starting work on the Imperius Curse today and I talked to Neville and we are set to start Occlumency on Tuesday."

"Okay, and you said Neville knows everything right? I don't need to be on guard all the time with you?"

"Right, he was actually the only person who knew about my dates with 'Eliza' too." Harry laughed, "And anyways, even if he didn't know, he would probably find out when he uses Legilimancy on you!"

"Oh…yeah…" She grinned sheepishly back at him. "Good point."

"Ready then? On the count of three..."

* * *

After two and a half hours of fighting off tap dancing, acting like a monkey, and drinking something awful Harry had claimed was coffee, they called it quits for the evening. Lily lingered for another thirty minutes, mostly discussing her parents' upcoming date that weekend. Their night came to an abrupt end, though, when Fred cam barreling through the office doors without knocking.

"Lily!" he yelled before noticing his professor. "Hi Uncle Harry. But Lily! You've got a slight problem. Your roommate Bianca found that necklace your dad gave you for Christmas and now they are gossiping all over the common room about who gave it to you. I don't know if you're lucky that they don't know or if it is worse, but they are mostly speculating on who you are dating that could have that much money." He said all of that in a rush before plopping himself down in a chair to breathe.

"How bad is it?" Lily asked tentatively.

"Well, Bianca's theories are pretty bad. I think the worst is that you are basically whoring yourself out to Scoprius Malfoy even though he's only a first year but –"

"WHAT?!" Harry and Lily yelled at the same time.

"Wait! Don't worry, no one actually believes that one! Most people just think you have some romantic secret boyfriend, who is possibly older."

At this, Harry practically growled, "That's not much better!"

Fred turned and grinned at his uncle, "For her reputation it is."

"That's not –" Harry replied furiously before being interrupted.

"Stop! I've got to get up there and sort this out. And no, you can't come Dad. That won't help at all."

"Yeah, Bianca would probably start a rumour that you were seeing each other," Fred chimed in.

"Ewww" Harry and Lily said simultaneously again.

"Alright, let's just get this over with. I'll just tell them it's a family heirloom from my mum's side. They won't think anything about it since everyone thinks she is a muggle."

"Um, that won't work Lily; it is a magical stone. No muggle would be able to get that unless by a rare and completely unlikely accident."

"Oh darn! I guess I can say I got it at a second hand store and didn't realise it was worth anything."

"Actually, that would be perfect!" Fred exclaimed. "All the Weasleys that are there at the moment are trying to do some damage control and restrain Bianca, especially Victoire since she's Head Girl. And they are all saying that you probably just picked it up somewhere not realizing it was so expensive."

"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Harry said, exhasperated. But before Fred could respond, Lily cut over him eyeing her father.

"Just how expensive is this necklace?"

"Enough. Just know that my dad bought it for my mum so I didn't have any control over that. I just passed it on." And before Lily could respond to that any more, he said forcefully, "Now go!" and watched the two fifth years exit his office quickly.

Harry left his office as well a few minutes later to retire to his rooms, wondering how many things like this would happen before it became known that Lily Finch was actually Lily Potter.

* * *

A few days later on Saturday, Ginny found herself cleaning up after a spectacular win for her football championships. They were officially declared the best women's team in the UK.

Therefore, she had a busy but exciting night ahead of her: first, dinner with Harry in Diagon Alley – both disguised as Eliza and Dylan of course – and then they will shed their glamour charms to go to a muggle pub with Ginny's (well, really Eliza's) team to celebrate their victory.

Ginny was practically acting like a 3-year-old in a toy store as she walked down Diagon Alley. And it was completely justified considering she had only stepped there once since her self-regulated exile. Plus, she had been a nervous wreck and was unable to appreciate the shops and world she grew up with.

Before entering the restaurant, Harry decided to drag Ginny into one store: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. The shop was fairly busy when they entered for it being during the school year for Hogwarts. When the bell jingled as they opened the door, George looked over from where he was talking to a customer and waved, not realizing who the new people were. A few moments later, George walked up to them as they were admiring the next evolution of Pygmy Puffs.

"Hello there! Welcome to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes! Is there anything you are looking for in particular? Or maybe just browsing?"

"Yeah, we are just browsing. Thanks." Harry – looking like Dylan – smiled at him.

"Sounds great! Well, let me tell you about these Pygmy Puffs. A type of these have been sold in the store since we opened 21 years ago. The differences between the original and the newest version are fairly slight, but important nonetheless." George spouted out in his most professional sales tone.

Ginny – looking like Eliza – decided to speak up and play with his mind, "Yes, I remember those. These seem to have slightly shorter hair yet they look fluffier. And their eyes are much cuter and larger on these new models. I must have bought over ten of those since they kept running away from me! Although, I'm still convinced you guys used to sell me ones that would return here after a few days. It's pretty funny in retrospect though…" Ginny trailed off with a thoughtful look on her face, if only to keep her from laughing at George's face.

He seemed to be both in shock and curious as to what was going on. "That – that doesn't make any sense! We only did that to one person! Unless my twin was flirting with you and he never told me but he usually – " George stopped talking at expression of disgust that was on both of his customers' faces. "What? What did I say? I'm sorry if – " Once again, George didn't finish his sentence because the two strangers burst into laughter.

"Really, George! Fred flirting with me is simply disgusting!" Ginny giggled.

"What? Who?" Silence. "Ginny?"

She giggled again as Harry replied in a whisper. "Yup, and I'm Harry we've having dinner in disguise and decided to stop by."

"Wow, you two definitely had me worrying about my sanity for a few moments there!" George laughed. "Well, what are you two doing after dinner? Fancy going out for a drink with Katie and I?"

"Oh, sorry, but we are celebrating at a pub with my football team tonight. But you are welcome to come to that! You definitely should!" Ginny exclaimed.

"What are you celebrating?"

"We won the championships! We are officially the 2017 best female footballers in all of the United Kingdom!"

"No way! That is amazing… But then again, you always were crazy at Quidditch too." George paused in thought for a moment. "Yeah, that sounds great. I'll double check with Katie but I'm sure it's fine. When and where shall we meet you?"

"Let's say 9:30 at the Leaky Cauldron? Then Harry and I can apparate you to my house, and from there we will all take a cab to the pub."

"Perfect. I'll see you then."

As they turned to leave, Harry turned back to George. "Oh! Don't forget! Since you will obviously be her brother, you have to George and Katie _Finch_. I am Dylan, and she is Eliza. Otherwise, we will end up confusing her muggle friends."

"Right. Got it. Because I would never want to confused anyone would I?" George said with a laugh as the couple left for their romantic dinner.

* * *

A few hours later found Ginny and Harry walking leisurely down the alley. Their dinner proved to be rather romantic and the food was excellent, but what both of them liked best about their meal was how comfortable they could be together: their deep past as Harry and Ginny, their new romance as Dylan and Eliza, and their overall love for each other as just themselves.

They walked into the Leaky Cauldron still in their own romantic bubble until it was interrupted by George's overenthusiastic yells of their fake names and Katie scolding him for having so little tact. They quickly greeted each other before Harry grabbed George and Ginny grabbed Katie and they both literally popped over to Ginny's house.

"I'm going to go call a cab quickly. Feel free to sit down in the living room or Harry can probably give you a tour." Ginny addressed her brother and sister-in-law before dashing out of the room.

Harry pulled out his wand so he could return to his natural appearance. "So, do you want to see how Ginny has been living as the muggle named Eliza Finch?"

"You bet we do!" George replied enthusiastically. "Plus, Katie here has this strange idea of moving into the muggle world after all the kids finish Hogwarts and move out, so it will be nice to get an idea of how things are."

"Well, the house is going to be generally the same; the main difference is the use of electricity. There are technologies that's use is second nature to muggles that would be hard for you two to get used to. Ginny was telling me that it took her a few months before she could walk into a store or home without embarrassing herself immediately, and a few years until she could go an entire day." Harry told them as they wandered down the hall and into the kitchen where the witch and wizard poked and admired the strange kitchen appliances.

They then went up-stairs to see Ginny and Lily's bedroom and the den before returning to the living room where they met Ginny who was, once again, a red-head.

"Good timing!" Ginny exclaimed. "The cab just got here. You guys can come back any time and I can show you around much more thoroughly. Alright, let's go."

The drive to the pub was uneventful and they quickly clambered out while Ginny paid the driver. Harry handed George and Katie a few pounds so they could properly enjoy the celebrations.

"Now, remember," Ginny told them slightly nervous. "My name is Eliza Finch, this is Dylan Ward, and your last name is Finch as well. Okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry little sis! The two of us went over this while you were at dinner too. I unfortunately won't confuse your friends!" George replied with a grin.

Ginny signed shaking her head and walked into the pub holding hands with Harry.

"Eliza!" A blonde woman yelled as soon as they entered and ran over to greet them. "Our star player!"

"Sorry I'm a bit late. I ran into one of my brothers before dinner so it took a little longer to get over here. Anyway, Bridget, this is Dylan– " Bridget squealed as she shook Harry's hand telling him that she was so glad to finally meet him. "– and this is my brother, George, and his wife Katie. Everyone, this is my captain, Bridget."

"That's great that you guys could all come!" The blonde gushed. "The more the merrier! Plus, I have known Eliza here for just over ten years now and have never met any family or dates. She rarely even talks about anything like that!"

"Okay, let's all go celebrate. Looks like we have taken over this place tonight." Ginny said before anything else could be said about her years of isolation.

The four magical people circulated around the pub talking and celebrating with Eliza's teammates while everyone, themselves included, drank beers and celebrated the championship quite loudly.

Multiple times, they had to explain either how Eliza and Dylan had met speed dating, or how George was just one of the many brothers that were in her family. They fell into an excuse of moving around and sparse communication to explain Eliza's previous lack of mentioning her brothers.

A number of hours later, they finally filtered tipsily out of the pub, called a cab and returned to Ginny's house, all while talking and laughing and just enjoying themselves.

As Ginny lay in bed that night curled up next to Harry and her brother asleep a few doors down the hall, her last thoughts before she fell asleep were that she couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun, and it was probably because she was no longer hiding from herself. She no longer lived with regret and fear.

* * *

A/N: I AM A TERRIBLE AUTHOR/BIG SISTER! I completely forgot to thank my sister, lupintonkslove, in the last chapter for beta-ing for me! but she did both this chapter and the previous one, which is great since she catches all my typos and spelling errors that i don't get. And trust me, there can be a lot! So thanks darling!

There will be one more regular chapter in this story (and then an epilogue). But I need your help. I know I want the next chapter to have them telling the wizarding world that Ginny is back and Lily is really Harry's daughter. But I can't decide how. I know I want it to be their decision. No one forces them or finds out. But how? And when? Not before the end of this year… but maybe then? or will it not be until graduation? The one idea I got from my dear sister was that Bianca somehow too close to figuring it out and they decide to tell before it gets discovered accidentally. But how would Bianca figure it out? Gah. Help. Please.

And yeah… I just realized the timing for the football season is kinda wonky. Please ignore and just go with the flow :) thanks! (And REVIEW! Maybe? No? Oh, well… ok…)


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